News

With nearly three-fourths of the workforce at the Pantex Plant only five years away from retirement age, Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) has put a heavy focus cultivating our future workforce.

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that employment in occupations related to STEM – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – is projected to grow to more than 9 million between 2012 to 2022. Something that we know first-hand.

In 2015, CNS donated $10,000 to Bushland Independent School District (BISD) to help them kick-start an initiative to create a hands-on, high-tech STEM educational program.

The district knew there was a need to provide more STEM-related education. They decided that the best direction to implement this initiative was to form elementary, middle, and high school teams that would participate in FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), international robotics competitions that drive students to research and explore real-world scientific and engineering challenges.

The teachers responsible for building this multi-level robotics program agreed upon a plan that no one saw coming. The popular choice would have been to use the funds to immediately support the high school STEM program, but the teachers chose to take a different approach. One that would build a solid foundation for STEM education for years to come.

“Just like in sports. You don’t wait until high school to start building athletes,” said BISD teacher and robotics sponsor, Jessica Patterson. “The same is true for education. You don’t wait until college to build engineers.”

Jessica Patterson, who runs Bushland Elementary’s Einstein Lab, along with Melissa Cochran, who handles the computer lab, and Christina Butler, who teaches special education, have other daily responsibilities but were willing to devote nights and weekends to cultivate a program that would enhance students’ learning to the next level.

After hosting a “Get to Know Robotics Family Night,” students organized teams to create their own robot and research presentation. By May 2015, BISD had 11 FIRST LEGO® League Jr. (JrFLL) teams, seven FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams, and one FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team. The question now was: How can we serve more than 100 students without sending every one of them to Dallas to compete in a tournament?

Thus began the TexPan Robotics tournament. BISD staff, in conjunction with Amarillo College Engineering Society and Amarillo Area Center for Advanced Learning (AACAL), created a robotics tournament to serve all local teams.

“We saw the need for all students in the Texas Panhandle to have a local tournament to compete and celebrate learning,” said Patterson.

Currently, TexPan robotics is working with FIRST to become an official region for students in the panhandle. The 2015 tournament champions were The Purple Perspicacious Pandas, a group of six middle school girls who defeated their competitors to receive an ACE (Advancing to Championship) certificate allowing them to travel to Dallas to compete in the North Texas FLL Regional Championship in February 2016.

After tournament season ended, the Bushland Robotics teachers (otherwise known as the LEGO Ladies) devised a plan to rollout a “WE Do STEM” and EV3 robotics academy. The “WeDo STEM” academy serves students in kindergarten through second grade, and EV3 academy serves third through eighth grade. This six-week robotics academy was held outside of normal school hours and began teaching the basic skills of building and programing a robot. Later, academies addressed programming sensors and precision programming.

“We chose to keep to six-week learning programs because the short learning process engages kids to learn rather than just show up for a club meeting,” explained Patterson.

The academy was full within a matter of minutes of registration opening, showing the teachers that there was obviously an interest by the students and it was backed by their parents. The spring academies sparked such an interest in the students and their parents, that BISD now has seen a growth in teams to 11 JrFLL, 10 FLL, and two FTC teams. An outside interest has added two additional FLL teams from the local homeschool community and from the Boy Scout council.

“Without the donation from Pantex, this program would not have been possible,” said Patterson. “The students’ learning is so rapid that we are moving faster than we could have imagined and these resources provided by Pantex are an essential part to our success.”

Pantex provided BISD with another $10,000 contribution for the 2016–2017 school year in an effort for them to expand their program to the FTC for 7–12 grade students and eventually a FIRST Robotics Challenge team for 10–12 grade students.

The Pantex Christmas Project started in the late 1950s, and although it has gone by a few different names and has assisted needy families in various ways, one thing has remained the same: Pantexans’ desire to help others.

The project started when employees at Pantex thought they could pool the money they would normally use for buying each other gifts and instead buy toys, food, and clothing for families who would otherwise go without. Unlike other angel tree programs, Pantexans have the opportunity to adopt elderly as well as children.

“This year we worked with Family Support Services to help bring Christmas to those who might not otherwise get anything,” said Lennet Hernandez of Pantex Safeguards and Security. “Often the children have been uprooted from violent homes and usually do not get to bring anything with them. They are frightened, traumatized, and sometimes have been abused. We want to provide a great Christmas for them; for many it’s the first peaceful holiday they have ever experienced.”

The giving tradition continues; this year all 221 angels were adopted in less than 36 hours. Once an angel is selected, the fun begins. Take for example General Stores in Building 16‑19; they found a way to raise money for the gifts and have some fun at the same time.

“We had a pumpkin carving contest, a hot sauce taste off, breakfast casserole cook off, and an ugly sweater contest,” said Trey Gillman, a Pantex operations manager. “While these events are always full of cheerfulness and the spirit of giving, they can get very competitive as well.”

The idea of having fun events to raise money came last year, and it was so successful that this year they were able to raise $700 and adopt six angels.

“Whether it be an elderly person in a nursing home with no family to spend the holiday with, or a child whose parents are unable to provide gifts, we are fortunate enough to work at Pantex and be in a position to help these people out,” Gillman said.

Whether Pantexans bought a gift for a child or a nursing home resident, one thing is certain: Those gifts will bring a smile to many faces this holiday season.

For 22 years, the High Plains Food Bank has asked the community to help in the fight to alleviate hunger during the holidays by hosting their Together We Can food drive, and Consolidated Nuclear Security’s Pantex Plant was happy to help.

Pantexans braved the cold weather to man the food drive collecting donations – food and cash – from donors and sorting donations into appropriate bins.

“We at Pantex are so blessed with what we have and knowing that the food bank is going to help feed people in our community made me feel good to volunteer,” said Ester Sosa, with Pantex Enterprise Planning and Controls.

Pantex, along with other corporate sponsors and community members, helped the High Plains Food Bank bring in 730,477 meals through a combination of funds and non-perishable food items.

“We simply could not execute a successful holiday food and fund drive without our Sponsors of the Day, including our long-time partner, Pantex,” shared Emily Bell, communications and marketing manager for the High Plains Food Bank.

The High Plains Food Bank distributes about 625,000 meals – more than 700,000 pounds of food – each month to more than 170 feeding partner agencies who in turn serve between 8,000 and 9,000 families each month. Recently, that service number has risen to over 9,500 families throughout the Texas Panhandle.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – CNS CEO Morgan Smith has announced Lyle Cary as Vice President of Safeguards, Security and Emergency Services at the Pantex Plant and Y-12 National Security Complex.

Cary replaces Ken Freeman, who is retiring December 30, after a career spanning 40 years of security leadership, including a 30-year Air Force career that concluded as deputy director of Security Forces.

“To have the expertise of these two patriots is an incredible asset,” said Smith. “Ken has made lasting improvements to our physical security performance, which has been demonstrated by the exceptional marks received at each site for their most recent Department of Energy security assessments. I am certain Lyle will carry that performance excellence forward.”

Cary has more than 30 years of leadership experience in security, emergency management and law enforcement in public and private sectors. He is a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, where, for 25 years, he led large USAF organizations. As director of Security Forces for USAF Major Command, Cary was responsible for 11 military installations, 7,500 security forces personnel, nuclear and weapon system security, antiterrorism, law enforcement, information protection, and training and equipment. Cary also was a three-time commander and chief of security police, where he worked closely with law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, county and municipal levels. After his Air Force career, Cary has led security and emergency operations functions at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

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 performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects and delivery as promised.

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
Ellen Boatner
Public Affairs
Office (865) 241-4937
boatnerea@y12.doe.gov

Honoring technological advancements made at Pantex

AMARILLO, Texas – Seventeen Pantexans were recently recognized for their creativity and innovative spirit during the inaugural Pantex Technology Transfer Awards ceremony. The honorees submitted various innovative ideas and inventions that have led to the development of new capabilities in support of the ongoing mission at Pantex.

The awards range from workers who submitted an idea for an invention, to those who submitted a full invention disclosure to be considered for a patent application. Often times, the inventions created here and at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, result in savings that can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars and in some cases, result in the technology being transferred and used in the private sector.

In addition, there were special awards for four Pantexans who received the “Government Use Award” which includes a cash award and plaque. These awards were given to those whose inventions or copyrighted work had significant value to the Department of Energy or other Government Agencies in regards to cost, schedule, or technical impact. Those awards went to Tek Ferguson, Adam Myers, Guadalupe Rivero, and Chris Petmecky.

Consolidated Nuclear Security Deputy Enterprise Manager, Michelle Reichert told the award recipients, “We issued the challenge to take your ideas a step further and you did. In many cases, they have been applied to other industries. You have created value through the DOE and NNSA with what you do.” She added, “Most importantly, we are here to honor you. Your creativity, ingenuity and innovations.”

Those honored at the awards ceremony include: Dan Chisum, Chris Foster, Alan Harrison, Cheri Harrison, Brian Harlow, David Hattz, Jack Holy, Shane Laurent, Brad Maples, Amanda Morgan, Chris Petmecky, Richard Ray, Roger Robertson, Wayne Rodin, Juan Rodriguez, Stephanie Steelman, and Jeff Yokum.

CNS manages and operates the Pantex Plant and Y-12. A central Technology Transfer Program Office manages the commercialization and partnership efforts for both sites.

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 performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects and delivery as promised.

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
Public Affairs
Office (806) 477-0490
Stephen.Myers@pantex.doe.gov

Almost $300,000 invested in local nonprofits across Texas Panhandle

AMARILLO, Texas - Fourteen nonprofits in the Texas Panhandle recently received news that they will be able to continue or expand their missions thanks to grants from Consolidated Nuclear Security’s (CNS) Pantex Community Investment Fund, which is administered by the Amarillo Area Foundation.

CNS, which manages the Pantex Plant for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, announced this week the recipients of charitable funds totaling more than $125,000. Earlier this year, more than $170,000 was given in the first round of employee-directed grants, totaling more than $296,000 for 33 various non-profit organizations for the entire year.

“We are very proud to continue our employees’ legacy of giving through the CNS Community Investment Fund. Pantex has always been committed to improving and supporting our surrounding communities,” said Pantex Site Manager Todd Ailes.

The company announced the fund availability in January as part of its commitment to the Amarillo and surrounding areas. A Pantex Community Investment Advisory Committee comprised of CNS employees reviewed proposals from almost 200 area organizations throughout 2016. After their evaluation, the committee recommended grant awards to CNS management and the Amarillo Area Foundation.

The advisory committee selected grantee organizations based on the following funding preferences and priorities: basic needs, child and family development, community development, education, financial literacy, and health and wellness.

“By working together with the Amarillo Area Foundation, we are confident that these grants and their recipients will have a positive impact in the Panhandle.” said Jason Bohne, CNS Communications and Public Affairs director. “Our goal is to give our employees more of a voice in determining where corporate dollars are invested in the community where they work, live, and volunteer.”

The advisory committee gave priority to proposals from organizations located and operating in the 12 contiguous counties surrounding the Pantex Plant, which includes Armstrong, Carson, Deaf Smith, Donley, Gray, Hall, Hutchinson, Moore, Oldham, Potter, Randall and Swisher. Applications for 2017 will be due in early 2017 through the Amarillo Area Foundation.

Organizations and the funds they will receive are as follows:

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 performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects and delivery as promised.

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
Public Affairs
Office (806) 573.0490
Stephen.Myers@pantex.doe.gov

Turner Construction, the construction arm of the Administrative Support Complex (ASC) development team, began site mobilization and early construction activities at the 50-acre ASC site. Turner Construction took advantage of the fall weather to mobilize work crews focused on clearing vegetation, installing perimeter fencing, erecting temporary trailers, and surveying for the building foundation and underground utilities. Construction crews are now focused on drilling for foundation piers and fabricating pier rebar cages and concrete pier placements.

Construction crews have begun surveying the land and preparing for construction of Pantex’s Administrative Support Complex.

“It’s been amazing to see the site change every day,” said Chris Howard, CNS’s project manager for the ASC.

“Our Pantex management team is engaged with Lawler-Wood, the ASC development team lead, on a daily basis to ensure the facility will meet our tenant needs for a safe and secure environment to meet the NNSA mission,” said David Will, CNS’s program manager for the ASC.

To address the complexities and importance of the Pantex ASC, a management team is centering resources to ensure the project is successful. ASC construction activities will ramp up in the coming weeks to prepare site utilities while continuing concrete piers, footings, and grade beams to support the building’s large foundation.

Pantex recently had a British invasion, and it wasn’t the Beatles or the Rolling Stones but the United Kingdom Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), participating in the High Explosives Workshop.

The United Kingdom Atomic Weapons Establishment and representatives from Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory participated in the recent High Explosives Workshop hosted at Pantex.

This was the first UK/U.S. workshop hosted at Pantex. Although the two have interacted in the past, it was the first time the countries focused on high explosives. Representatives from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) also attended the workshop.

"We have had interactions with Joint Working Groups with the UK, but these only slightly touched on explosive manufacturing," said Barry Hill, senior manager, High Explosive and Materials Testing. "Some joint working groups focused on manufacturing practices, not so much on explosives."

Past interactions have been on Joint Working Groups, or JOWOGs, covering topics such as energetic science and manufacturing practices, and have been greatly beneficial.

"Besides [JOWOGs] being technically beneficial for both the U.S. and UK high explosives community, it’s highly valuable in maintaining and growing the collaborative relationship between new and experienced scientist and engineers on both sides of this long-standing alliance," said Monty Cates, senior director, Explosive Technology Operations.

With a recently expanded treaty, more information regarding explosive manufacturing can be shared between the two countries. Sharing the W76 program and commissioning similar facilities means both sites are facing many of the same challenges. The workshop allowed for discussions about pressing, machining, additive manufacturing, the growing pains that come along with new facilities, and lessons learned along the way.

"This workshop was a great opportunity to collaborate and share practices to improve in safety process and efficiency," said Eddie Yarker, an AWE principal manufacturing engineer. "It was also a great way to gain a wider knowledge and how it is processed here (in the United States)."
Not only was the workshop a great experience between the U.S. and the UK, it was also a valuable learning opportunity for employees at other sites. New employees at LLNL who were not familiar with high-explosives production and Pantex in general were able to learn about some of the processes.

"We have a lot of new staff who aren’t familiar with Pantex or the other sites; we were able to bring some here and let them get an orientation of Pantex as well as the other sites," said Micha Gresshoff, a LANL engineer.

Gresshoff also said that being able to learn the broader mission and learn how production is performed at Pantex are valuable to their staff and their program.

The fruits of the workshop have been plentiful for the UK Atomic Weapons Establishment, according to Mick Parry, the AWE acting principal production manager of explosives, and the momentum gathered from the workshop has carried over to their site. "We have returned with lots of ideas for future improvements and collaborations between our two sites," Parry said.

Most people wouldn’t know what to do when faced with a person trapped in a car — how to get them out, how to stabilize the vehicle — but the Pantex Fire Department trains annually on how to handle situations just like that. Recently, the department participated in the annual vehicle extrication training event.

Pantex’s rescue team receives training for all scenarios and participates in one of their many yearly training events that focuses on vehicle extrication training, requiring members of the team to stabilize the vehicles and use different methods in order to perform the rescue.

“This is a great chance for the guys to try new ideas. Sometimes they have read about something or heard about a new technique and this is when we encourage them to put it to work,” said Captain Lee Foster, who also oversees the Pantex Fire Department’s Rescue Program.

The group refreshed their skills in the process of removing a vehicle from around a person who has been involved in a motor vehicle incident when conventional means of exit are impossible or would be considered unsafe.

“The Pantex Fire Department responds off plant to a variety of mutual aid emergency situations; car crashes are one of the major emergency responses we encounter,” said Bill Ho‑Gland, Pantex assistant fire chief. “Rescues often require delicate patient care and vehicle stabilization is needed to minimize additional injury to the victim during the extrication process.”

The training was in multiple revolutions, each requiring different set of skills and tools to perform a safe extraction. Not only can the team work on new ideas, but they are also being push to the limits. These scenarios are always made to have the team working in a worst‑case situation.

AMARILLO, Texas – Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC achieved a significant increase in contracting with small businesses during fiscal year 2016, eclipsing its small business contracting goals and awarding more than $276 million at Pantex and Y-12.

The small business dollars awarded represented an increase of more than $36 million over FY 2015 figures, and were 67 percent of all funding awarded, exceeding CNS’ FY 2016 goal of awarding 55 percent of all procurement dollars.

CNS uses small businesses in a range of diverse roles, from staff augmentation services to construction support work.

“Small businesses help form the fabric of a community, and Pantex could not meet its mission without their help,” Pantex Small Business Program Manager Ryan Johnston said.

Y-12 Small Business Program Manager Lisa Copeland added, “They’re not only valuable to the East Tennessee economy—and the national economy—but they’re extremely valuable to Y-12. We’re going to continue to be proactive in recognizing mission-matched capabilities and qualifications of small businesses locally and across our great nation.”

Approximately $99 million worth of goods and services were purchased from small businesses at Pantex, and $177 million was purchased from small businesses at Y-12, which includes first-tier small business subcontracts awarded by the Uranium Processing Facility. Y-12 made awards to more than 770 small business suppliers, and Pantex awarded to more than 625 small business suppliers.

“CNS is committed to ensuring small businesses remain an essential part of completing the Pantex and Y-12 mission,” CNS Supply Chain Manager Skip Skelton said. “Partnering with small businesses ensures we’ll be able to grow and thrive into the future.”

Not only did CNS eclipse its overall goal for small business contracting, it surpassed goals in five socioeconomic categories recognized by the Small Business Administration: woman-owned small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, veteran-owned small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, and Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) businesses.

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 performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects and delivery as promised.

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
Allison Roberts
Public Affairs
Office (806) 573.0501
allison.roberts@pantex.doe.gov