Groundbreaking last week on a key facility for the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee demonstrates the importance of oversight of such projects from Capitol Hill, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said Saturday.
“For several years, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy & Water Development, which I now chair, has worked with the Department of Energy to develop a plan they can execute to keep this project on time and on budget,” Alexander said in prepared comments. “That plan included three things: that construction of the Uranium Processing Facility’s uranium buildings wouldn’t begin until the buildings were at 90 percent design, the cost wouldn’t exceed $6.5 billion, and the project would be completed by 2025. Last week’s groundbreaking is an important first step.”
The lawmaker added: “This Uranium Processing Facility at Y-12 National Security Complex will bring good-paying jobs to East Tennessee. I intend to continue to monitor this project to ensure we maintain accountability throughout the design, construction and operation of this new facility.”
The three-story, 64,800-square-foot UPF Construction Support Building will provide, office space, a warehouse, and craft break areas for facility personnel, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration. It is expected to cost $19.5 million and will be the project’s first permanent structure.
The Uranium Processing Facility will provide enriched uranium operations for the U.S. nuclear weapons arsneal, replacing some activities currently conducted in aging facilities at Y-12.
