News

A combined CNS Enterprise Fire Department Team represented Pantex and Y-12 at the 2019 Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) Challenge held at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) recently.

The combined team did an outstanding job representing both sites and were voted by the other teams and operators in the competition as winners of the Sportsmanship Award. This award recognizes a team that embodies the values of working as a team, working with other teams, and being willing to step up wherever a need arises.

“The CNS Enterprise FD Team did an excellent job. It was rewarding to see how they came together the first day operating as one team in the events,” Doug Trout, CNS Senior Director, Enterprise Emergency Services said. “The planning beforehand and collaboration by the team was evident in all of the events. They have ideas for training to take back and are looking forward to next year. This was an excellent event.”

The HAZMAT Challenge has been hosted by the Emergency Management Division of LANL for the past 22 years, and HAZMAT teams network with one another, practice technical skills, and learn new HAZMAT techniques under realistic conditions in a safe environment.

During the Challenge, vehicles, trucks, tankers, and rail cars are used in some of the props to mimic real-life hazardous material situations. Past Challenge scenarios have included drug laboratory or chemical hazard identification, manipulation of complex valve configurations to stop leaks, confined space rescue, compressed gas leaks, a leaking rail car dome, pressurized drum opening, stinger operation responding to damaged tanker trailer, and damming/diking exercise from an overturned tanker.

Lyle Cary, Vice President of Safeguards, Security, and Emergency Services added, “The training value and relationships built during these events strengthens capability across the Nuclear Security Enterprise, and because of the number of teams from federal, state, and municipal departments, it strengthens the Nation”.

Representing Pantex were Firefighters John Sappington, Daniel Sholder, and Cody Steever, and Fire Captains Mark Campbell and Chad Zarbock.

Representing Y-12 were Firefighters Chris Altman, Scot Rose, and Craig Shaver, and Fire Captains Jeremy Maiden and Jim Arnold.

Pantex Plant’s Emergency Management Department will conduct an emergency exercise on October 9. During this exercise, people in the vicinity of Pantex may observe emergency personnel simulating response activities as part of the exercise.

Emergency exercises test the ability of emergency personnel to respond quickly and effectively to emergency situations, and ensure the public, Pantex employees and the environment would be protected in the event of an actual emergency.

Again, you may observe response personnel simulating response activities as part of the exercise, If you observe suspicious activity before October 8 or after October 9, please report your observations to 477-5000.

Members of the Pantex Honor Guard visited Y-12 in June to train their fellow firefighters.

“We received approval to form an honor guard, and we decided who better to train us than our fellow coworkers,” Y-12 Assistant Fire Chief Mari-Kaye Monday said. “Pantex’s Honor Guard was established in 2011.”

Three Pantex members conducted a week of training with the 10 members of the newly formed Y-12 Fire Department Honor Guard.

“We wanted to ensure we were ready to serve as a color guard or perform a variety of events, such as opening ceremonies, parades, and funeral services for fallen fire and emergency services members,” she said.

Monday said their team has worked for years to establish an honor guard within the Y-12 Fire Department. “It is the mission of the fire service honor guard to exemplify honor, respect, and dignity while embracing fire service tradition. We’re continuing the pursuit of excellence by establishing the honor guard, and the Y-12 Fire Department is striving to exhibit pride, professionalism, and teamwork to represent CNS.”

AMARILLO, Texas – A major maintenance and repair project has just begun at Pantex, with road construction that will focus on resurfacing almost 19 miles of roads at Pantex, along with 29,000 square feet of parking lots.

Work will take place across almost every area at the plant. An average of 25 semi-trucks loads a day will carry 58,000 tons of road materials over the course of the project.

Besides the scale of the project, what makes this project unique is the use of the Pantex Mentor-Protégé program, the first of its kind at Pantex for CNS, which operates the plant for The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The program seeks to foster long-term business relationships between small, disadvantaged business entities and DOE prime contractors, and to increase the overall number of small businesses that receive DOE prime and subcontracts.

SAMES (Saul and Samuel Maldonado Engineering and Surveying) out of McAllen, with more than 300 federal projects already completed, will support the Pantex mission by providing surveying and engineering expertise, and in turn, CNS will offer guidance on business management and development.

Michelle Reichert, CNS chief operating officer said, “We value small businesses; partnering with them is essential for us to accomplish our important mission for the nation. I’m excited to see how this relationship will further our infrastructure revitalization efforts.”

“This agreement is mutually beneficial,” said Ryan Johnston, who manages the CNS small business program at Pantex. “SAMES will provide the unique surveying and engineering expertise we need, while gaining the skills necessary to compete for larger DOE subcontracts.”

When possible, resurfacing of the roads and parking lots will take place during the weekend to reduce disruptions for employees. The project is expected to be finished in October of this year.

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS) operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a single contract for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on the absolute priorities of safety, security, quality, mission delivery and cost efficiency.

For more information on each site, visit www.pantex.energy.gov or www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Pantex on Facebook, X or LinkedIn. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

CONTACT
Steve Myers
Communications
Office (806) 573.0490
Stephen.Myers@pantex.doe.gov

AMARILLO, Texas – Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC, has expanded its Fellows Program, adding two employees to its group of technical experts. The additions to the program include one employee from each CNS site: the Pantex Plant’s Neil Koone and the Y-12 National Security Complex’s John Prazniak.

Koone was chosen as a new Electromagnetics Fellow, while Prazniak is a Uranium Fellow; he replaces Glenn Pfennigworth, who retired.

The addition of Koone and Prazniak brings the number of CNS fellows to five. The program recognizes technical staff members who have achieved status as a national or international expert in their field. Each fellow serves a renewable two-year term acting as the technical expert in their competency area and will be a mentor to other staff.

The program began in fiscal year 2017, offering highly qualified CNS engineers and scientists the opportunity to focus on future technologies. The program allows the fellows to pursue greater professional growth while helping to ensure CNS’s technical success by focusing on visionary and transformative technologies.

The fellows are chosen by a committee comprising leaders from across CNS. Fellowships are available in each of the CNS core competencies: metallurgy, uranium chemistry, lithium/special nuclear material, explosives, advanced manufacturing, component analysis/surveillance, electromagnetic effects, and nonproliferation.

Koone has more than 17 years of experience at Pantex. He began his career as a physics professor in the University System of Georgia and also taught at the University of Texas at Tyler and worked at Bell Helicopter-Textron Inc. His main focus at Pantex is in lightning protection.

Prazniak is currently supporting the deployment of uranium purification methods through electrorefining and has worked on uranium processing in Oak Ridge for 40 years, first at the Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plant. He came to Y-12 in 1985 and helped restart Y-12’s enriched uranium recovery system.

Lorelei Woods (Pantex Component Analysis/Surveillance), Vincent Lamberti (Y-12 Component Analysis/Surveillance), and Alan Moore (Metallurgy) were selected in 2017 and are serving the second year of their fellowships. They may apply to have their terms extended.

“The enduring success of our sites relies on our ability to enhance technology and innovation, specifically in our core capabilities, and the CNS Fellows Program will ensure we remain a leader in technology innovation,” CNS Fellows Program Manager Ashley Stowe said.

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS) operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a single contract for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on the absolute priorities of safety, security, quality, mission delivery and cost efficiency.

For more information on each site, visit www.pantex.energy.gov or www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Pantex on Facebook, X or LinkedIn. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

CONTACT
Steve Myers
Communications
Office (806) 573.0490
Stephen.Myers@pantex.doe.gov

AMARILLO, Texas – Nonprofits in the Texas Panhandle will be better able to expand or continue their missions thanks to grants from Consolidated Nuclear Security’s (CNS) Pantex Community Investment Fund, administered by the Amarillo Area Foundation.

CNS, which manages the Pantex for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, created an advisory committee to determine distribution of the funds. The committee prioritized the submissions from organizations located and operating in the 12 contiguous counties surrounding Pantex, which includes Armstrong, Carson, Deaf Smith, Donley, Gray, Hall, Hutchinson, Moore, Oldham, Potter, Randall and Swisher.

Including the latest round of grants, CNS has donated more than $745,000 to area non-profit organizations since 2016 through the Amarillo Area Foundation.

“Our relationship with the Amarillo Area Foundation has enabled our employees to engage in the grant process in such an effective way,” said Jason Bohne, CNS Communications and Public Affairs director. “As a company, we’re happy to partner with community organizations for the betterment of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle—where our employees work, live, and give.”

The advisory committee selected grantee organizations based on the following funding preferences and priorities: Basic Needs, Child and Family Development, Education, Community Development, Financial Literacy, and Health and Wellness.

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS) operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a single contract for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on the absolute priorities of safety, security, quality, mission delivery and cost efficiency.

For more information on each site, visit www.pantex.energy.gov or www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Pantex on Facebook, X or LinkedIn. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

CONTACT
Steve Myers
Communications
Office (806) 573-0490
Stephen.Myers@pantex.doe.gov

Pantexan Bruce Phebus with HE Materials and Testing recently presented a demonstration on the Phases of Matter to children at the Canyon Library.

Bruce talked with the children about how gasses expand and cool, the components of air, and how clouds form.

He performed demonstrations such as balloons in the vacuum chamber, the Franklin cup, and touchable clouds for the children whose average age was around 5 years old.

“I think science demos are important because science shouldn’t be abstract. It should be something people and kids realize is a real job and it explains the world,” Bruce said. “I think science without seeing scientists in person and demos is like watching water polo from the Sahara. Any given kid can’t even imagine the pool let alone someone playing in it.”

He said doing these types of demos makes science relevant for children, and explains the world that children touch and see every day.

“It isn’t just ‘facts’ in a book that are untestable and unverifiable on their own, things they just need to accept,” Bruce said. “The key tenant of science is trust but verify! Learn it all for yourself!”

Kimbel Leffew with Pantex Contractor Assurance is a member of the Human Performance Improvement Working Group team that was awarded the HPI Team Award by the Energy Facilities Contractor Operating Group at its annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Chris Clark, Leffew’s manager, said, “As a fairly new manager in the Contractor Assurance organization, Kimbel has been a quick study of the complex processes and tools we use. With her outstanding contacts across the nuclear enterprise, she reaches out on a regular basis to benchmark other organizations as well as offer benchmark-quality ideas emanating from our two plants.”

Leffew and Chuck Ramsey (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) accepted the award on behalf of their team. The team was recognized for exceptional performance by a group who was instrumental in addressing a key EFCOG issue. The HPI Working Group turned around its team and provided members products that add value, such as a template for building an HPI strategic plan, an HPI business plan, and HPI assessment tools.

This award also recognizes the team’s contributions to the design and implementation of the HPI curriculum with the creation of the HPI Fundamentals and HPI Lead Practitioner Training Courses under the Performance and Reliability Program in DOE.

Kimbel Leffew, Pantex Contractor Assurance, and Chuck Ramsey, ORNL, accept the Human Performance Improvement Team Award from the EFCOG Safety Chair John McDonald. Team members not pictured include: Patricia Allen (Savannah River Remediation), Mike Petrowski (Los Alamos National Laboratory), and Lloyd Keith (Washington River Protection Solution).

1. Protect your health

• Get checked out! An annual physical is a Cigna CNS benefit.
• Know your numbers: blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar, and body mass index.

2. Insist on Pre-Job Briefings

• Identify scope to be performed and how it will be done; discuss location and potential hazards; know what personal protective equipment is required.
• Know what to do if abnormal conditions occur.

3. Perform the DRIVER steps before operating a vehicle

• Do a 360-degree walk-around; Rely on a spotter; Identify the safety features; Verify safe conditions; Eliminate distractions; Report all accidents.
• Ask your supervisor or safety representative if you have questions

4. Set High Standards to avoid falls in the workplace

• Use ladders properly, including keeping three points of contact when climbing, not leaning to one side when on the ladder, setting the ladder at the proper angle, securing the ladder, etc.
• Ensure use of a proper fall arrest system such as full body harness, self-retracting lanyard, and approved anchor point with 100% tie-off.

5. Be Aware of Hazards in the workplace

• As you begin work, ask yourself:
  • Do I have the right tools/equipment for the job?
  • Have I inspected my tools/equipment to make sure they are in good repair?
  • Am I positioning the tool correctly? Are hands and other body parts out of the line of fire?
  • Do I need additional Personal Protective Equipment for the job?

6. Practice Hand Safety

• Our hands are one of our most valuable tools, so protect them.
• Evaluate your work area for potential hand hazards.
• Use the proper tool for the task.
• Wear the right glove for the task.

7. Commute Safely

• Driving to and from work is one of the most dangerous activities we do each day.
• Start SMART
  • Secure your seat belt and adjust your seat.
  • Make adjustments (check mirrors and eliminate blind spots) before putting vehicle in drive.
  • Avoid driving drowsy by getting plenty of rest each night. Lack of sleep causes you to react more slowly, and impairs judgement and vision.
  • Remain focused on driving.
  • Thoroughly check your surroundings for traffic, people, blind spots, and objects.
• Stay SMART
  • Control your Speed.
  • Monitor for excessive speed and road conditions.
  • Avoid distractions. Follow CNS’s Cellular Telephone/Mobile Electronic Device policy to minimize risk during driving.
  • Follow the Rules of the road.
  • Take Time to reach your destination. Plan ahead. Allow for extra time.

8. Walking is Working

• Keep these facts in mind when you consider talking or texting while walking:
  • Texting decreases your situational awareness and limits eyes on path.
  • Five seconds is the average time your eyes are not focused on the path if you are walking while texting.
  • Tripping hazards could be one step ahead.
  • Own the outcome, stop and take time out to talk or text.

9. Think Before You Act

• Report it, don’t ignore it – report near misses and if something doesn’t’ seem safe report it immediately.
• Always look for hidden hazards – be aware of changes around you and pay attention to detail and the task at hand.
• Keep your mind on the task – remind yourself why certain safety policies and best practices are in place and stop to think before you act – keep a safety mindset!

10. Manage Stress

• Focus on the one thing that’s always within your control: you.
• These steps will help you manage job stress:
  • Take responsibility for improving your physical and emotional well-being.
  • Avoid pitfalls by identifying knee-jerk habits and negative attitudes that add to the stress you experience at work.
  • Learn better communication skills to improve your relationships with managers and coworkers.

Pantexans with POLO recently took part in the annual Engineering Camp held each summer at West Texas A&M University in Canyon.

Milton Guerrero with Pantex Nuclear Procurement Engineering was a guest speaker at the event and spoke on the world of engineering and led students in an activity to help demonstrate how the world of engineering works.

Lance Duncan from Pantex Mission Engineering also presented at the event which was geared towards high school students.

During the presentations students learned about Pantex and Y-12, the different types of engineering (Mechanical, Environmental, Electrical, etc.), salary statistics, and the backgrounds of the guest speakers.

“This event was important to me because it was an opportunity to inspire kids to follow the path to becoming an engineer,” Guerrero said. “I attended this event to not only inspire but to also give back to my alma mater WTAMU.”