The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has issued consent orders to Los Alamos National Security (LANS) and National Security Technologies (NSTec) for the loss of contamination control of highly enriched uranium at the Nevada National Security Site’s National Criticality Experiments Research Center at the Device Assembly Facility (DAF) in June and October of 2014, according to two June 14 Department of Energy Office of Enterprise Assessments letters made public late Friday.
NSTec, responsible for managing the DAF, and LANS, responsible for the programmatic work and nuclear operations within the research center, were both cited for their role in the incidents. In June 2014, 31 employees tested positive of uranium intake following the discovery of radiological contamination outside of a critical assembly device contamination area. In August 2014, the NNSA paused operations at the Godiva facility after receiving those results. Then, in October, some contamination was detected outside another critical assembly device. A causal analysis of the spread of the radiological contamination identified insufficient workplace monitoring and ineffective hazard identification among the contributing factors.
According to the terms of the two consent order agreements, LANS and NSTec must arrange independent effectiveness reviews of corrective actions taken so far following the incidents, implement adequate controls to minimize potential contamination, and ensure proper monitoring and oversight of radiological work to prevent and identify contamination issues. The consent orders take the place of enforcement action with civil penalties, and the two contractors are expected to sign the order as a final settlement. LANS and NSTec spokespeople could not be reached for comment by press time.
