News

Work with migratory birds nets U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service award nomination

For the second year in a row, the Pantex Plant was nominated by the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration for an award in recognition of its efforts to research and protect migratory birds.

Pantex will represent the DOE/NNSA in the competition for the 2013 Presidential Migratory Bird Federal Stewardship Award, which has been administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 2011. Each federal agency is eligible to nominate one project or action conducted by or in partnership with a federal agency that meets the intent and spirit of Executive Order 13186 by focusing on migratory bird conservation.

“We were honored to be selected last year, but to be picked two years in a row is very gratifying,” said Kenneth A. Hoar, assistant manager for Environment, Safety and Health with the NNSA Production Office (NPO). “We are proud to represent the DOE and NNSA in this competition and proud that our migratory bird conservation efforts have been recognized through this nomination.”

The site’s work to research and protect migratory birds began to evolve in 2002, and over the years has included efforts involving Western Burrowing Owls, Purple Martins and migratory birds that may be affected by wind energy development. Work is proposed and coordinated by James D. Ray, Pantex Plant wildlife biologist, with support from NPO.

Since 2002, more than 8,500 nestling martins have been banded throughout northwest Texas and western Oklahoma under the program. In 2008, protective devices were installed on 500 new utility poles at Pantex to help protect raptors from electrocution.

Much of the research was performed through contracted collaboration with Texas Tech University, the United States Geological Survey’s Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and West Texas A&M University (WTAMU).

Currently, a multifaceted project is evaluating the effects of wind energy development on migratory birds. This program includes a contract with WTAMU and has resulted in the development of a comprehensive literature review on the impacts of wind energy on wildlife, and the initiation of pre- and post-turbine monitoring of migratory birds. This project also involves surveys of plots for wintering and migrating raptors, surveys of plots in different habitat types during the breeding season for birds and nests, along with radio and satellite tracking of Swainson’s hawks.

Taken together, the different actions involved in the Migratory Bird Program present a picture of a site that is dedicated to going beyond the minimum federal mandates of migratory birds.

“At Pantex, we have an abiding respect for the environment and recognize our obligation to protect it,” said Jim Stevens, division manager for the Environment, Safety, Health & Quality Division at B&W Pantex.
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CONTACT
Greg Cunningham
Public Affairs
Office (806) 477-5140
Pager (806) 345-1560

NNSA NEWS

U.S. Department of Energy
National Nuclear Security Administration
Production Office News Release

AMARILLO, Texas - The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has awarded a contract to Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. (Siemens) to construct and operate the Federal government’s largest wind farm. The Pantex wind farm, a first in the NNSA enterprise, will consist of five 2.3 megawatt turbines located on 1,500 acres of government-owned property east of the Pantex Plant.

Energy savings from the wind farm average $2.9 million annually over a 20-year contract term and the project will enable Pantex to meet the President’s energy initiatives for green energy. In fact, the wind farm at Pantex will allow NNSA to meet almost all of its renewable energy goals while also offering unique research opportunities to longtime partner in education, Texas Tech University and its research collaborators. The farm will generate approximately 45 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually which is greater than 60% of Pantex’s annual electricity needs.

Steve Erhart, Manager, NNSA Production Office said, “Three years of hard work, dedication and determination have paid off. The NNSA’s goal was to turn Texas wind into energy, and we have overcome numerous hurdles in implementing the contracting strategy.”

Using an Energy Savings Performance Contract, Siemens will provide a turn-key wind farm system for 20 years that includes a five-year service, maintenance, and warranty agreement with operating and maintenance options from years six through ten. Siemens will also provide an annual energy production guarantee. The government payment to them will come directly from the value of guaranteed energy savings generated from the Pantex wind farm.

Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, reliability and performance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing; works to reduce global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad.
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CONTACT
Brenda Finley
NNSA Production Office Public Affairs
Office (806) 477-3120

Pantex Engineers Host Workshop for Girl Scouts

Don’t tell the young women engineers at Pantex that engineering is a career for men only. They just spent their Saturday making sure that old-fashioned notion winds up in the dustbin of history.

The half dozen young Pantexans, all around their mid-20s, put on a workshop called “Smart Cookies” to show more than 40 Girl Scouts that engineering is a great career for everyone, especially young women.

“There is no doubt that engineering has traditionally been viewed as a man’s career field, but that is changing,” said Savannah Gates, a process engineer at Pantex. “We want to continue that transformation by encouraging these young women to join us in the engineering field.”

Gates was joined by her fellow engineers Ashley Latta, Brandy Ramirez, Sarah Cox, Jessie Phifer, Raquel Barrera and Halianne Crawford in organizing the workshop. The Pantex engineers demonstrated the principles of a variety of types of engineering, including electrical, mechanical, civil and chemical.

The activities ranged from making a homemade battery from foil, pennies and paper towels soaked in a vinegar-salt solution to building cars powered by the kinetic energy of a mousetrap. The mousetrap cars proved so entertaining for the Girl Scouts, and took up so much of the day, that the women engineers were forced to postpone several other engineering activities that will be used as the basis of a second workshop later this year.

“It was amazing to see how excited these young ladies were to learn about engineering,” Phifer said. “You could tell our message really resonated with them, so I’m hopeful that some of these girls might be working with us as engineers at Pantex one day.”

On the storm-wracked plains of the Texas Panhandle, it pays to be ready for severe weather. The Pantex Plant has risen to that challenge, once again earning recognition from the National Weather Service (NWS) as a StormReady site.

“Pantex was one of the first entities of its kind to become StormReady,” said Jose Garcia, meteorologist in charge of the NWS’s Amarillo office. “Pantex is a special facility, and it is important the public knows it is prepared for severe weather.”

Garcia and other NWS officials were at the plant Wednesday to present Pantex officials with the recertification. He said StormReady status indicates Pantex has the weather sirens, shelters, notification technology and emergency response infrastructure to respond effectively to severe weather.

The StormReady program started in 1999 in Tulsa, Okla., and has since grown to encompass more than 2,000 sites. Pantex was the first nuclear site to earn the designation and remains one of only a handful that has achieved StormReady status.

Alonza Campbell, manager of the Emergency Management Department at Pantex, said the Plant has a long history of working hand-in-hand with the community. Pantex maintains contact with the NWS to anticipate storms and other inclement weather conditions. Pantex even uses and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radios to alert residents living near the plant of emergency conditions.

“We recognize that we have a responsibility to our neighbors to be prepared for all types of emergency situations,” Campbell said. “In this part of the country, severe weather is a fact of life and it is one of the potential risks we have to be ready for at all times.”

Pantexans again hit the road Friday, December 7, to raise awareness about hunger in the Texas Panhandle during the second Pantex Run Against Hunger. Byron Logan, an officer from the Pantex Safeguards and Security Division, escorted by four coworkers and a Bearcat armored vehicle, made a 40-mile bicycle ride from Pantex to Panhandle schools and then to Highland Park schools. While at the schools, the Pantexans encouraged the students to support their schools’ food drives and the importance of giving to those who are in need. The students then had an opportunity to explore the Bearcat.

At Highland Park schools, four Pantexans took to the road for a 20-mile run to the High Plains Food Bank’s food drive collection center in Amarillo. Other Pantexans and family members joined them along the route. A group of Pantexans meet the runners at the food drive finish line, where they presented a $4,300 check to the food bank. The donation was from Pantex employees to support the runners.

The Pantex runners were Logan, Randy Stokes, Cliff Cawthon and Sherry Philyaw. Darla Fish joined them for the last five miles of the run.

“We wanted to do something to help people in our community who are struggling,” Logan said. “We run long distances, and we wanted to use that skill to raise awareness about hunger in our area.”

Plant Partners with Panhandle and Highland Park Schools

Pantexans will be hitting the road Friday in an effort to raise awareness about hunger in the Texas Panhandle in the second Pantex Run Against Hunger. Pantex also invited Highland Park and Panhandle schools to join them in a food drive to benefit the High Plains Food Bank.

Byron Logan and Randy Stokes, officers in the Safeguards & Security Division at Pantex, will again embark on a long-distance trek through parts of the Panhandle ending at the High Plains Food Bank’s food drive, which is being hosted at United Market Street.

The Run Against Hunger began in 2011 with a 30 mile run from Pantex to United Market Street. This year, the pair wanted to expand the event to allow others to participate and to grow awareness about the need for food in the area. The pair has added a 40-mile bicycle ride from Pantex Plant to Panhandle High School and then Highland Park High School. They will begin the approximately 20-mile run to United Market Street at Highland Park Schools. Other Pantexans will join them along the route, some during the bike ride and others during the run. They will be followed by a Bearcat, which is an armored vehicle used by Security Police Officers at Pantex.

“Randy and I wanted to do something to help people in our community who are struggling,” Logan said. “We run long distances, and we wanted to use that skill to raise awareness about hunger in our area.”

The food bank is conducting its annual food drive this week. They can take a donation of $5 and stretch it into $50 of food. The top needs this year are green beans, canned soups, canned mixed vegetables, bagged rice and sweet peas.

Any media outlet wishing to cover this effort is welcome to film along the route of the run. They plan to begin the running portion at approximately 11 a.m. running west on U.S. Highway 60, south on Lakeside Drive and west on the Interstate 40 access road into Amarillo. For safety purposes, they will leave I-40 at Ross Osage and run several smaller roads to Georgia Street. They expect to arrive at Market Street at approximately 2 p.m., where they will be available for interviews. For updates on where the run is along the route, please contact Laura Bailey at 223-8211.

B&W Pantex manages and operates the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. B&W Pantex is also the proud recipient of the DOE’s Voluntary Protection Program Superior STAR status for safety excellence. The company was also named one of America’s safest companies by Occupational Hazards magazine and has received numerous awards from the National Safety Council.

CONTACT
Laura Bailey
Public Affairs
Office (806) 573.0502
Pager (806) 345-6604
laura.bailey1@pantex.doe.gov

The public face of Pantex on the Internet has a new look following a project to redesign the Website.

Pantex unveiled the new Website Monday. The site features updated information, easier navigation and new search tools. The site was created over the past several months in a joint effort between the Chief Information Officer (CIO) Division, the Public Affairs Department and an external Web development contractor.

“Completely redesigning the Pantex internet presence was a large undertaking,” said Pantex CIO Kent Gross. “The new site reflects our modernization movement and establishes a framework that we can easily build on.”

A prime objective of the redesign was to create a Website that would provide up-to-date information to the public and stakeholders in an efficient manner. The site features a new section on doing business with Pantex that will be beneficial to subcontractors and others who work with the site. Plant status and emergency information is also more easily accessed.

New content will continue to roll out on the site over the coming months as more features are added to increase functionality.

“The Website is a critical facet of our outreach to stakeholders and the general public,” said Public Affairs Department Manager Ed Veiga. “We continue to strive to provide the most useful information possible to our audiences, and this new Website will aid in that effort.”

B&W Pantex manages and operates the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. B&W Pantex is also the proud recipient of the DOE’s Voluntary Protection Program STAR status for safety excellence. The company was also named one of America’s safest companies by Occupational Hazards magazine and has received numerous awards from the National Safety Council.
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CONTACT
Greg Cunningham
Public Affairs
Office (806) 477-5140
Pager (806) 345-1560

B&W Pantex was honored last week with a pair of awards for its exemplary safety record.

The President’s Award for Best Performing Business Unit and the Target Zero Award were presented on behalf of Babcock and Wilcox Technical Services Group (B&W TSG) President George Dudich.

“I am happy to honor the thousands of men and women who do the critical work at Pantex with such a high commitment to safety,” Dudich said.

The President’s Award is presented to the large site that demonstrates “Best in Class” safety performance, while the Target Zero Award goes to sites that complete the year without a lost time injury.

“The key to the outstanding safety performance at Pantex is employee involvement. Pantex employees lead numerous safety committees and initiatives,” said B&W Pantex General Manager John Woolery.

During 2012, Pantexans worked more than seven million man hours without a lost time injury and continue to lead the nuclear security enterprise in several measures of safety.

Earlier this year, Pantex was also honored with the Department of Energy’s Voluntary Protection Program’s Star of Excellence.

CONTACT
Greg Cunningham
Public Affairs
Office (806) 477-5140
Pager (806) 345-1560

B&W Pantex was honored for its charitable giving last week during National Philanthropy Day ceremonies in Amarillo.

On behalf of the company, B&W Pantex General Manager John Woolery received the Outstanding Business/Corporation Award from the Texas Plains Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

The award pointed out the generous support of Pantexans for the Coffee Memorial Blood Center, which held a total of 24 blood drives at the plant and collected more than 750 units of blood last year. Pantex was also singled out for support of the United Way of Amarillo and Canyon, High Plains Food Bank, Family Support Services, the Discovery Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters and several other agencies.

​A new American Quarter Horse sculpture is now on display at Pantex outside Building 16-12, a first stop for visitors. The horse is a unifying symbol within the community, and horses with various designs are on display across Amarillo at banks, restaurants, civic organizations, hospitals, factories, schools and retail stores.

The Plant's 125-pound fiberglass American Quarter Horse sculpture was painted by artist Gary Ward and features a rendering of the American flag, an eagle, and wind turbines. It was purchased from Amarillo Center City as part of its Hoof Prints project, which began in 2002 to provide eye-catching landmarks. Proceeds benefit Center City, an organization that works to enhance downtown Amarillo.