The host states of the Department of Energy’s three main nuclear weapons production sites are among those planning early, partial reopenings after weeks or months of shuttering most businesses to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Tennessee, Texas, and Missouri, host states to the Y-12 National Security Complex, the Pantex Plant and the Kansas City National Security Complex, intend to relax restrictions either this or next week.
In all three states, reopened businesses will have to limit the number of customers they serve at once. The states are also requiring employers to perform screening, but not testing, for COVID-19, and continue to practice social distancing and work from home when possible.
Tennessee is allowing retail businesses including restaurants and gyms to reopen this week. Anderson County, which includes Y-12, is among those allowed to reopen under guidelines Gov. Bill Lee’s (R) office published Monday. Nearby Knox County, however, will remain closed, for the time being, Lee’s office said.
Texas is going further, planning to allow all retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and malls to reopen on Friday. However, these businesses will only be able to admit customers equal to “25% of their listed occupancy,” according to Gov. Greg Abbott’s office.
Missouri will be the last to reopen, but has possibly the most expansive plan that could result in the biggest shock to a still mostly-uninfected population. The state plans to allow all businesses to reopen Monday, as long as they can practice social distancing with the federally recommended 6 feet between patrons, according to Gov. Mike Parson (R).
All National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) production sites have been open throughout the early months of the pandemic.
Pantex and Y-12 will stay hunkered down in mission-critical operations for the time being. The two sites, both managed by the Bechtel National-led Consolidated Nuclear Security, went to minimum mission critical operations two weeks ago and plan to slowly ramp back up over the next several weeks, limiting operations in the meantime to only the most essential national security missions and mandating telework for anyone who can do it.
The Kansas City National Security Campus last week started added protective measures for workers, including temperature screening, plastic screens between workstations, and personal protective equipment for workers who cannot maintain six feet of distance between them. Kansas City has also reduced on-site personnel and offered telework.
All the production sites have at least one case of COVID-19 among their workforces, and have had many more quarantines. Whenever a site registers a confirmed case, it typically requires anyone potentially exposed to the infected to quarantine at home.
