Site Prep Work for UPF on Schedule, Under Budget, NNSA Says
NS&D Monitor
12/12/2014
The National Nuclear Security Administration says site preparation activities for the Uranium Processing Facility is on schedule and under budget, adding that there’s been no recorded accident or injury over the past 500-plus days. The preparations are taking place on the west side of the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge. The site work, which began in spring 2013, should be completed in the winter of 2015, according to the NNSA.
In a statement, Don Peters, the federal construction manager for UPF said the site readiness work is “setting the standard for quality UPF construction on budget.” The work area stretches across about a five-mile “linear footprint” at Y-12, he said. Much of the site preparation has been conducted by Avisco, a woman-owned small business, which is working as a subcontractor to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corp is managing the work as part of an interagency agreement with NNSA.
Among the UPF-related projects completed or under way at Y-12 include: relocation of Bear Creek Road; construction of a new haul road; demolition of a parking lot; and construction of sediment basins to help protect the environmental during construction.
Permanent Security Fence in Place at Y-12
NS&D Monitor
12/12/2014
A permanent security fence along Y-12’s front yard—a point of contention since a temporary structure was built following the July 28, 2012 break-in by three Plowshares protesters—has been installed and apparently completed over the past few days. Consolidated Nuclear Security spokeswoman Ellen Boatner confirmed that local firm Loundon County Fence Co. constructed the security fence but declined to discuss costs or other details associated with the project.
The National Nuclear Security Administration previously declined to discuss the subcontractor for the project or its cost. Earlier, the NNSA had estimated the cost of a permanent fence at Y-12’s entrance to be about $150,000, but that was considered to be a high estimate even at the time.
A few weeks ago, while the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance was holding a Sunday vigil, marking the 15th year of such peace vigils at Y-12, a participant found a piece of paper in the weeds across from the site where the fence was under construction. According to Alliance coordinator Ralph Hutchison, the document said the project included 1,588 feet of four-foot-high fence, with gates of various widths. Hutchison said the dollar figure in the document was $88,279.29, although it’s not clear if that was an estimate of the project, bid or subcontract award. Boatner said she could not reveal the value of the fence subcontract, and Loudon County Fence did not respond to requests for comment.
