I don't disagree with your first point but you have to be realistic, LLNL will never be upgraded to Cat 1 and even if it was it would not be able to keep up any better than LANL.
Perhaps LLNL can retrofit NIF into a pit production facility. I am sure that there will be a push to recast the 60% complete MOX facility into a pit production facility and try to save the billions spent there. We should expect that would cost tens of billions of dollars to rebuild and as much to operate annually. Alas, the DOE and the NNSA no longer has the capacity to push through a new plutonium facility, no matter where and no matter if it's needed or not!
Before any more money is wasted on expensive research and position papers for the pit subject, the US needs to firmly decide exactly how many pits are going to actually be needed each year. The figures are all over the place.
Once the matter of the number of pits is determine, then it will be time to proceed on deciding how to get there.
Alas, the DOE and the NNSA no longer has the capacity to push through a new plutonium facility, no matter where and no matter if it's needed or not!
August 20, 2016 at 7:51 PM
DOE and NNSA haven't got what it takes to push through any kind of facility. And, even if by some miracle they did, they could not possibly select a competent operator to run it. DOE has long outlived its usefulness to the country, and should be disbanded. The NNSA should simply be dumped and the Feds working there fired. A return to the AEC is the only way to save the stockpile.
8 comments:
They never could keep up and never will. Continue to rest on the accomplishments of years gone by. Upgrade LLNL to Cat I and let the horses run!
Upgrade LLNL to Cat I and let the horses run!
I don't disagree with your first point but you have to be realistic, LLNL will never
be upgraded to Cat 1 and even if it was it would not be able to keep up any better than LANL.
Perhaps LLNL can retrofit NIF into a pit production facility. I am sure that there will be a push to recast the 60% complete MOX facility into a pit production facility and try to save the billions spent there. We should expect that would cost tens of billions of dollars to rebuild and as much to operate annually. Alas, the DOE and the NNSA no longer has the capacity to push through a new plutonium facility, no matter where and no matter if it's needed or not!
Before any more money is wasted on expensive research and position papers for the pit subject, the US needs to firmly decide exactly how many pits are going to actually be needed each year. The figures are all over the place.
Once the matter of the number of pits is determine, then it will be time to proceed on deciding how to get there.
If you have no idea where you are going, any path will do.
There are already cat 1 facilities in cold standby at other locations. Use those as the structure to put pit processing in.
Alas, the DOE and the NNSA no longer has the capacity to push through a new plutonium facility, no matter where and no matter if it's needed or not!
August 20, 2016 at 7:51 PM
DOE and NNSA haven't got what it takes to push through any kind of facility. And, even if by some miracle they did, they could not possibly select a competent operator to run it. DOE has long outlived its usefulness to the country, and should be disbanded. The NNSA should simply be dumped and the Feds working there fired. A return to the AEC is the only way to save the stockpile.
7:51, spot on.
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