The federal government’s independent nuclear health and safety watchdog wants to know what the National Nuclear Security Administration is doing to address perceived safety culture issues at the country’s central nuclear-weapons maintenance facility.
After a number of technical safety requirement violations in 2019, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) “received multiple concerns from Pantex employees about the conduct of operations program, the training and qualification program, overtime work, and organizational culture,” the board wrote in a June 9 letter to Jennifer Granholm, the Secretary of Energy. “In particular, the Board is troubled that some employees appear to lack confidence in established channels for raising safety concerns at Pantex.”
Consolidated Nuclear Security, the outgoing site operations manager that will transition out no sooner than November, briefed the DNFSB about corrective actions in April, but now the board wants another update — and they want Granholm to deliver it no later than 60 days after the DOE boss receives the board’s letter.
Excluding weekends and holidays, and counting from the date of the letter, that would be an early September deadline.
“We are aware of the Board’s letter and are committed to addressing each of the Board’s concerns,” a spokesperson for Consolidated Nuclear Security wrote Tuesday morning in an email. “In coordination with [NNSA Production Office, Consolidated Nuclear Security] will review the improvement actions already underway and modify and broaden these actions, as appropriate.
“Our focus has always been on creating an enduring organizational culture of excellence, and we continue to pursue opportunities to better enable employees to carry out the mission, provide enhanced avenues for raising concerns, and support an environment of continuous improvement,” the spokesperson wrote.
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently extended the Bechtel-led site operations contractor for at least two months while the agency wraps up a competition for a follow-on contract that, like the incumbent deal, includes both Pantex and the Y-12 National Security Site in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
The follow-on contract will be worth just under $28 billion over 10 years, with options, the NNSA has said.
“Given the impending change in the management and operating contract for Pantex, we believe that NNSA must take steps to address these concerns and ensure that corrective actions are not lost and that the issues are not compounded by the contract transition,” DNFSB wrote.
