News

Firefighter/Paramedics Nikki Weiss, left, and Chard Zarback prepare to load equipment into one of two new ambulances recently acquired by the Pantex Plant.

All firefighters at Pantex are trained as Emergency Medical Technicians and many are Paramedics, qualified to perform advanced life support operations in the new ambulances. Pantex maintains fire and ambulance crews on standby 24 hours a day to respond to plant emergencies and to assist surrounding municipalities through mutual aid agreements.

This week is National Emergency Medical Services Professionals Week, which was started in 1974 by President Gerald Ford to recognize the service of EMS professionals to their communities. Pantex hosted a cookout Friday to honor Fire Department personnel in advance of EMS Professionals Week.

Teams from a variety of large and small businesses throughout Amarillo, including Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS), students from Amarillo Independent School District and a few caring individuals gathered to support the 2016 United Way Day of Caring.

Pantex team members gather at the United Way Day of Caring event. From left: Thomas Hunt, Jared Taylor, Allen Fowler, Francisco Ramirez, Willie Gomez, Sebern Groves, Maurice Austin, Nate Henderson, Johnny Cox, Kyle Owens, Reid Copelin, Bradley Appier, Mark Heckman, Andy Blalock and Vickie Hook.

Fifteen Pantexans dispersed into three teams of five to help the Texas Ramp Project build wheelchair ramps for disabled or elderly individuals throughout Amarillo. A few of the men from the Pantex carpentry shop jumped right in to run the saw, level a board and teach other team members how to perfectly align a hand rail.

Pantex employees donate labor to help those in need during the United Way Day of Caring.

“It always feels good to help those in need. Doris’s [ramp recipient] face lit up when she saw the finished ramp,” said Thomas Hunt, Pantex Instrument Shop supervisor. “It was fun to build some camaraderie with other employees I don’t encounter on a daily basis at work. I’m glad that we work somewhere that afforded us the opportunity to help out the community.”

After each team completed its build, the teams split into groups of two or three and headed to separate locations where they painted ramps built a few weeks prior.

In total, CNS Pantex was able to help build three ramps and paint five additional ramps to support the missions of the United Way of Amarillo and Canyon’s 2016 Day of Caring and the Texas Ramp Project.

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS) celebrates Earth Day every day by recycling everything from regular office paper to electronic equipment and scrap metal. In 2015, employees at Pantex and Y-12 recycled more than 6 million pounds of materials, demonstrating their commitment to environmental stewardship.

Just past the mid-point of fiscal year 2016, production levels achieved at Pantex continue to increase. The result is that overall, weapon schedule performance through February came in within one percent of expected completions. Adding to the plant’s recent accomplishments, Pantex is ahead of schedule on several major programs, according to Pantex Deputy Site Manager Corey Strickland.

A Pantex production technician performs work on a W87. The W87 Limited-Life Component Exchange, or LLCE, is one of several programs on which Pantex is ahead of schedule.

Those programs include the W76-1 LEP program that enables Pantex to continue to meet critical U.S. Navy shipments; the W87 Limited‑Life Component Exchange, or LLCE , which is an Air Force Requirement; and the Dismantlement Program.

“Laser‑like focus each day has helped ensure that our critical DoD deliverables are met, the schedule margin is increased and that we are well positioned for FY 2017,” Strickland said.

Senior Director of Weapons Operations David Cole attributes the recent production success to “having the entire plant to focus on meeting the mission delivery.” He believes continued support from the dedicated professionals in all areas of the plant is what it takes to keep up the momentum.

“Receiving quick responses from our engineering team and the national laboratories on technical issues when they come up has contributed greatly to our success,” added Senior Technical Advisor Alonzo Everhart.

“Please stay focused. Our diligence is paying off,” Strickland said recently to Pantex organizational representatives.

Shouts of joy and laughter followed loud crashes of bowling pins hitting the floor as 35 teams of Pantexans packed Amarillo’s Western Bowl to lace up (or Velcro) their bowling shoes for the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) Bowl For Kids’ Sake “Hawaiian Luau” sponsored by Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS).

More than 143 employees and their families took to their lanes, vying for that perfect score of 300, proving yet again how Pantexans care about the BBBS mission for our community. For the last 10 years, more than 182 Pantex bowling teams have helped provide the needed funding to serve hundreds of children in the Texas Panhandle.

“We couldn’t do it without our continued support from CNS Pantex,” explained Emily Shelton Nance, executive director of BBBS of the Texas Panhandle, Inc.

Bowl For Kids’ Sake is one of the agency’s largest annual fundraisers, which accounts for more than 40 percent of its annual budget. CNS is proud to support BBBS and its mission to provide all children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.

“This was a great time for a great cause. I am privileged to have been a part of it,” said Mona Knox, Pantex Facilities Services.

Through fundraising efforts such as Bowl For Kids’ Sake, BBBS is able to fulfill an important role in the community. At absolutely no cost to the parent, the children (or “Littles”) are signed up and then matched up with a “Big” who agrees to spend a few hours a week with their match. The BBBS mission is to help children reach their full potential through professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships.

The Alley Oops weren’t hard to spot in this year’s event t-shirts.

More than $170,000 invested in local nonprofits across Texas Panhandle

AMARILLO- Nineteen nonprofits in the Texas Panhandle are better able to continue or expand their missions thanks to grants from Consolidated Nuclear Security’s (CNS) Pantex Community Investment Fund. The fund 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 $170,000.

“Pantex has always been committed to improving and supporting our surrounding communities. We are very proud to continue our employees’ legacy of giving by contributing to Panhandle area organizations through the CNS Community Investment Fund,” 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 88 area organizations. 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.

“Our goal was to give our employees more of a voice in determining where corporate dollars are invested in the community where they work, live, and volunteer,” said Jason Bohne, CNS Communications and Public Affairs director. “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.”

A similar effort is taking place at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tenn., also managed and operated by CNS. Grant awards determined by a Y-12 employee advisory committee, in conjunction with CNS and the East Tennessee Foundation, will be announced May 4.

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

Renewable energy project exceeds expectations

AMARILLO-The Texas Panhandle has some of the world’s best winds for creating renewable energy, and the wind farm at the Pantex Plant is taking advantage of those winds, generating up to 60 percent of the energy needs of the plant in an inaugural program, mandated by the White House.

In 2013, construction on the one-of-a-kind wind farm began under a unique finance model, known as an Energy Savings Performance Contract. The five turbines, each 400 feet tall, were built on 1,500 acres of federal land adjacent to the main Pantex Plant. The Pantex Renewable Energy Project (PREP) was designed to generate more than 47 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, which is enough to power nearly 3,500 homes.

In the first 10 months of operation, the Pantex Wind Farm has produced more than 43,043,000 kWh of electricity; enough energy to satisfy approximately 63 percent of the Pantex Plant’s power needs… 3 percent more than expected. To date, more than 73,000,000 kWhs have been produced and the project is also estimated to reduce CO2 emissions by over 35,000 metric tons per year, the equivalent of removing 7,200 cars from the road each year or planting 850,000 trees. The wind farm will play a key role in helping Pantex achieve President Obama’s directive that the federal government lead the way in clean energy and energy efficiency, with his administration’s goal of obtaining 20 percent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2020.

In addition to providing electricity for Pantex operations, PREP serves as the keystone for an ongoing collaboration with Texas Tech University (TTU) to make Pantex a leader in innovation within the wind energy sector. TTU and the NNSA Production Office (NPO) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding that would combine resources to study the wind farm located adjacent to the Pantex plant.

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

Safeguards, Security and Emergency Services integrated, consolidated and standardized processes at Pantex and Y-12 in 2015. According to Gary Wisdom, SS&ES senior director at Pantex, “The exchange of information has been our greatest effort and our most valuable success. Integrating our knowledge, purpose and strategic initiatives can ultimately provide the greatest returns.”

Pantex Emergency Services members (from left) Maribel Martinez, Brenda Graham and Greg Roddahl learn how to use the Emergency Management Information System, or EMInS.

In many cases, the formalization and documentation of long‑established informal processes were major accomplishments. For example, in June 2015, the National Nuclear Security Administration Production Office approved consolidated rules of engagement and hostile intent policies for unmanned aerial systems at both CNS sites.

In July, essential elements terminology was standardized, and the organization decided to proceed with incorporating all governing documents into a single Requirement Management System, which assists with consolidating the flow down of Department of Energy requirements into site‑specific documents.

The enterprise infrastructure to facilitate and support these efforts is integral to their success. Training, Supply Chain Management, Document Control and other organizations must be integrated so that they can support integration at lower levels. Representatives from SS&ES, Transformation and Supply Chain Management developed a logistics plan to make it easier for SS&ES employees to get what they need to do their work on time and cost effectively.

“If we can reduce the time spent completing repetitive purchase paperwork, reduce the time it takes to get the items and services we need, that’s a big plus for everyone,” explained Brian Deorocki of SS&ES Integration Management. Items needed at both sites may be purchased in bulk, improving employee effectiveness and reducing costs.

The logistics plan simplifies these repetitive and multi‑year procurements of specialized supplies, parts and equipment, as well as maintenance, service and repair contracts. Protective Force personnel at both sites worked together to develop a statement of work for a firearms maintenance capability at Anniston Army Depot. The depot possesses machines, parts and tools to renovate and refurbish military firearm systems and restore them to current military specifications, a capability not available at Pantex or Y-12. Both sites have provided additional statements of work for other site‑specific weapons and have coordinated with Supply Chain Management for an integrated ammunition procurement process.

During the year, Emergency Services leadership developed a common vision for the Enterprise Emergency Services organization and shared processes. Y-12’s Exercise Builder software was implemented at Pantex, along with the Communicator NXT technology and the first phase of the Emergency Management Information Notification System. Y-12 personnel offered guidance and training on each system throughout implementation.

Personnel from the sister site served as evaluators, leading to valuable discussions afterwards where processes were compared and a common balance was agreed upon.

“We continue developing common approaches to various ways of reporting and doing business across both sites, but we also realize we need to enhance our performance in terms of communications, leadership, ethics, teamwork and job satisfaction,” Wisdom said.

SS&ES teams continue integrating the Pantex and Y‑12 programs. Ken Freeman, SS&ES vice president, said, “The integration effort has been challenging, but we are very pleased with the work our employees are accomplishing. Through their continued collaborative and cooperative efforts, we anticipate having even greater success in FY 2016.”

Consolidated Nuclear Security held a hiring event March 29 for maintenance craft workers at Amarillo College. The event was part of CNS’ effort to hire locally for Pantex positions whenever possible by attending local and regional job fairs and conducting hiring events.

Pantex Human Resources’ Anthony Acklin greets an applicant during the a Pantex Hiring Event held March 29 at Amarillo College.

“We saw a great response from people attending the event, and it gave us an opportunity to pre-screen a number of candidates,” said Heather Freeman, CNS Director for Workforce Strategies. “We had more than 400 people attend the event, which reinforced the interest our local community has in supporting Pantex and our national security mission.”

The event centered on filling new Pantex positions ranging from maintenance supervisors, to electricians, pipefitters, sheet metal workers as well as instrument and fire system technicians. The hiring event was linked to CNS’ larger hiring effort over the next 19 months for Pantex production workers, operations workers, trades workers, security personnel, administrative and support staff as well as science, engineering and technology professionals to meet growing mission requirements for upcoming fiscal years.

Qualified applicants had a chance to speak directly with Human Resources representatives and Pantex Maintenance Department supervisors during the four-hour event. Follow-up interviews are being arranged for those job seekers who might be potential candidates to work at Pantex.

“Today gave us the chance to meet many certified journeyman level workers and qualified supervisors who may be a good fit for Pantex,” said Steve Filipowicz, Pantex Infrastructure Division Director, and Pantexan with more than 20-years of service at the Plant. “The event gave us some good momentum in hiring skilled, qualified workers that will help us fulfill our maintenance needs for the future.”