News

The SAMES concrete crew makes a 241 yard pour behind the Pantex Fire Department in January 2020. SAMES is a small-business partner and is CNS'protégé in the mentor/protégé program. Please note the photo was taken prior to COVID-19 protocols being in place.

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS) is demonstrating a continued commitment to business partnership, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of ongoing outreach to business owners and potential vendors, CNS representatives are continuing their Partners in Excellence (PIE) event series virtually.

CNS began the PIE event series in April 2018 because the government contract solicitation process is sometimes considered complex or cumbersome for businesses, particularly newcomers and small businesses.

The latest round of online PIE workshops and forums allow potential business partners to attend while adhering to local social distancing guidelines in Texas, Tennessee, and across the country. PIE workshops are targeted based on agenda content, but larger events like the recent August PIE forum are open to a broader audience of business owners.

“Our goal is to increase the capacity and capability of our contractor base to support our small project execution,” said Cindy Morgan, director of CNS Supply Chain Business Management. “In our world, small projects are defined as $50 million or less.”

While CNS has a focus on modernizing the aging infrastructure of Pantex and Y-12, the company doesn’t only need construction contractors.

“We purchase a variety of goods and services from small and large businesses, and we need vendors for everything from general office supplies to information technology and staff augmentation,” said Randy Crawford, Pantex Small Business Program Manager.

The PIE events are a chance for CNS leaders to offer attendees a slice of knowledge about successfully doing business with Pantex and Y-12, break down the requirements, and share upcoming opportunities. During the August 29 PIE event, Bill Tindal, the CNS chief operating officer, provided an overview of the Pantex and Y-12 site histories and explained why the company uses subcontractors as partners.

There’s also a chance to network with fellow business owners to encourage partnerships. “Sometimes a small business is not able to bond for a large job, but they have the expertise and skills that a larger business does not,” said Morgan. “Providing a chance to network encourages those businesses to work together and submit a joint bid.”

Each year, CNS awards over $1 billon in subcontracts to businesses that help accomplish specialized tasks in support of its vital national security mission.

Dr. Mark Izzard conducts a telepsychology session from his office at Pantex.

The Pantex and Y-12 Occupational Health Services departments have always had a mission to maintain and improve the safety, health, and wellness of employees in the workplace, and their work is more important now than ever before. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve proven themselves responsive, adaptable, and innovative. OHS is rising to the challenges of meeting ongoing occupational health needs with reduced staffing levels, finding ways to improve for the future, and even blazing new trails.

“I don’t think anyone in Y-12 OHS will ever forget that Monday in March when we learned we had our first case,” said Gary Hall, Y-12 OHS senior manager. “I looked around the room, and I think every single person there felt the tsunami of change coming fast our way. In hindsight, I think it was our exceptional people skills that got us through - we needed to quickly problem solve and then execute. We talked our way through the anxiety our coworkers were feeling.”

To practice proper social distancing, the Pantex and Y-12 groups alternated medical and administrative staff on site with weekly shifts. Even with reduced on site staffing levels, personnel were still able to provide fitness for duty and case management functions.

Procedures that didn’t allow for social distancing, such as audio and pulmonary function tests and physical therapy, have been paused to protect the providers and patients. For other procedures, the groups looked for new ways of meeting requirements.

Pantex and Y-12 OHS started telepsychology, or virtual psychology exams. With the employee in one room and the psychologist in another room, they connect via Skype. The simple solution was a first in the Nuclear Security Enterprise. OHS hopes to soon allow psychologists to offer this service while teleworking from home to further reduce the amount of clinical staff on-site.

Pantex has also changed procedures for alcohol testing. To reduce use of breathalyzer tests and protect Fire Department personnel administering the test, employees called in to work off-shifts now receive saliva testing as a pre-screening and breath alcohol tests only following a positive saliva test.

In addition to providing ongoing health support to the plants, both OHS departments played a major role in the sites’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Site Operational Medical Directors Dr. Michael Paston and Dr. Warren Sayre helped develop policies and procedures to protect on site employees and prepare for when the workforce returns during the three stages of the recovery plan.

“We are functioning like our own public health department. The case management staff, led by nurse Melva Davis, is perfecting contact tracing, and we are coordinating with the Amarillo Public Health Department,” said Paston.

Don Morris, Pantex OHS senior manager, said the situation has also encouraged the team to identify opportunities for improvement in other internal processes.

“In some ways, I don’t think we will ever go back to the way we used to do business,” Morris said.

The continuous improvement demonstrated by OHS has not only helped reduce the spread of COVID-19 at both sites but also will further improve the quality of service provided in the future.

Administrator Gordon-Hagerty takes Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy on tour

WASHINGTON – Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty, Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Under Secretary for Nuclear Security, hosted officials from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for a tour of NNSA’s Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas.

Read full press release on the NNSA website.

Amarillo, Texas. – "Every year, I have the distinct pleasure of recognizing some impressive achievements performed by some pretty amazing people here at Pantex, and this year is no different,” said Pantex Site Manger Todd Ailes.

That preamble introduces the winners of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Safety, Infrastructure, and Operations (NA-50) Excellence Awards. This year’s awards recognized three Pantex teams, five Y-12 teams, and one team from both sites for their exceptional accomplishments during 2019. These award-winning teams were recognized for outstanding endeavors involving innovation, effectiveness, teamwork, overcoming adversity, and enabling future success.

The nine awards this year ranged from quickly replacing storm-damaged roofs at Pantex to replacing fire suppression systems at Y-12 and using a system to provide the most accurate deferred maintenance and replacement plant value data for both sites.

The Roof Asset Management Program (RAMP) team responded in March 2019 to a major sustained high-wind event with measured winds in excess of 50 miles per hour and maximum speeds clocked at 88 miles per hour. There was extensive damage to 25 roofs across Pantex, including two of which were mission-critical facilities impacting production. The team worked with Kansas City Plant RAMP personnel investigating damages, placing temporary covers over exposed areas, and debris clean-up. Roofing crews completed the permanent repairs and replacement of these roofs totaling more than 18,000 combined square feet within 10 weeks of the event.

The Ramp Seismic team took actions to minimize safety risks associated with seismic events that can occur during transportation activities at Pantex. This project was an emerging event not planned for FY2019 that required support from multiple departments including Sandia National Labs. The team enhanced safety by adding seismic restraints to the Public Announcement System, conduits, heaters, steam lines, electrical panels, and communication boxes, and by adding structural support to an existing facility.

The Unreviewed Safety Question Determinations (USQD) Program Improvement Project reduced the total inventory of USQDs by more than 40% through innovating the Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) Program and improving the tools used to perform USQDs. With this reduction, Pantex more quickly responds to emerging issues, reduces risk, and increases responsiveness.

BUILDER Innovation: Improving Science Based Modeling and System Integration is the foundation for reporting deferred maintenance and replacement plant value for all NA-50 sites. In only nine months, this CNS team successfully established the BUILDER/SAP Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) integration tool, which pushes data between the systems and eliminates manual search, retrieval, and data entry.

The Building 9204-2 Kathabar Supply and Return Duct Repair project executed an innovative repair of degraded supply duct using a rigid spray foam. This applied coating eliminated air losses though the duct with no interruption of process work. This successful project and the sustainment of this facility contributed to the Y-12’s lithium mission.

The 9201-05 Dust Collector System Disposition project involved the isolation, dismantlement, and disposition of the system, which was technically challenging due to its size, location, and contaminants. It was also physically challenging for workers in full personal protective equipment during 90-plus degree days. The collector was associated with Building 9201-5, the highest-risk legacy facility in the NNSA enterprise. The Y-12 team achieved the reduction in contamination by developing an innovative, safe plan to execute the work via encapsulation and vacuuming.

The Building 9215 Motor Control Center 332 Electrical Replacement Outagewas completed as part of the Nuclear Facilities Electrical Modernization portfolio. This Y-12 project's execution team reduced the outage windows from four required outages to two. The development of work contingencies and optimized scheduling allowed completion of this replacement almost 30 days ahead of the original project completion date and reduced the overall cost of the project by more than $1.2 million.

The Defense Program Package (DPP)-1 Shipping Package Design Team at Y-12 completed the design of the DPP-1 shipping package in January 2019, approximately 16 months after being named the Design Agency for the development and completion of the package. The DPP-1 is a package for off-site shipment that will be used for the safe and secure shipment of weapons systems pits. The design team worked closely with representatives from Pantex, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to establish all relevant requirements for the DPP-1.

Y-12’s Building 9720-58 Fire System Conversion Project Team assembled a multi-functional team that safely designed and replaced the complex and outdated foam-based deluge system, which required costly annual flood tests, with an innovative modern nitrogen-filled dry pipe system. Coordination among team members from multiple organizations allowed operations to safely continue and support Y-12's mission while the system was being replaced. This new-to-Y-12 system resulted in an annual cost savings of approximately $150,000.

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC 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. CNS member companies include Bechtel National, Inc.; Leidos, Inc.; ATK Launch Systems, Inc.; and SOC LLC. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on 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
Communications
Office (806) 573.0490
Stephen.Myers@pantex.doe.gov

AMARILLO, Texas – Representatives from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Production Office joined leaders from Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC – the managing and operating contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy/NNSA Pantex Plant – at Pantex on September 17 for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Flexible Support Facility (FSF).

The design of the FSF is based on a Standardized Acquisition and Recapitalization (STAR) design that was used at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The STAR initiative is aimed at reducing costs and accelerating construction of small office and light laboratory facilities through the use of standard, scalable building designs.

“The FSF is an excellent example of one of NNSA Administrator Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty’s goals – leveraging resources across the Enterprise,” said Geoffrey L. Beausoleil, NNSA Production Office Manager. “We are leveraging a design from our sister site, the NNSS. The shared design advances our ability to provide new facilities and workspace for our projects staff and new employees by applying proven design and recent construction experience to allow the most effective use of our infrastructure dollars.”

The planned structures that comprise the FSF will provide support for the nuclear security mission at Pantex and will house approximately 220 personnel from crowded or aging facilities elsewhere on site.

“The additional space provided by the FSF allows us to provide modern workspace for our growing workforce,” Beausoleil said. “The volume of work has increased, requiring additional staff that we hadn’t planned on five years ago. This work is in both infrastructure modernization and product delivery.”

Pantex Site Manager Todd Ailes said that the FSF is part of the continuing change in landscape at Pantex. “Through modernization of both the operational and administrative areas, we are providing current and future generations of Pantexans with exceptional facilities to aid in execution of our critical mission,” he said. “The FSF represents the next step in our journey toward that vision. We look forward to using the FSF as a model for future building replacements to provide a comfortable work environment for our people while allowing us to vacate and decommission older, diminished facilities.”

“I am proud of how our local team is exemplifying the One NNSA and One Team expectations of the Administrator,” Beausoleil said. “The FSF demonstrates our ability to answer the “How do we get to yes?” question.”

Construction of the FSF, which is estimated to cost $20 million, is scheduled for completion in December 2021.

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Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Flickr.

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, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile; works to reduce the global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and militarily effective nuclear propulsion; and responds
to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad.

CONTACT:

Steven Wyatt
Public Affairs Manager
National Nuclear Security Administration
NNSA Production Office
Office: 865.576.9918
Cell: 865.292.3989
Pager: 865.916.2026

Administrator Gordon-Hagerty takes Ambassador Billingslea on Nuclear Security Enterprise roadshow

WASHINGTON – In support of ongoing U.S. arms control negotiations, Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty, Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and U.S. Department of Energy’s Under Secretary for Nuclear Security, hosted the Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control, Ambassador Marshall S. Billingslea, on a visit to NNSA sites that support the Nation’s nuclear security and nonproliferation missions.

“As the U.S. continues to ramp up modernization efforts and capability production, it was remarkable to see firsthand the NNSA’s world-class detection systems, cutting-edge technology and unparalleled expertise,” said Ambassador Billingslea. “I am grateful to Administrator Gordon-Hagerty and the men and women of NNSA. Their exceptionalism leaves no doubt that America’s nuclear deterrent is, and will remain, safe, secure, and effective.”

Read full press release on the NNSA website.

Non-nuclear prototype provides opportunity to collect data and prepare for production

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) has announced the completion of its second nuclear warhead modernization program First Production Capability Unit (FPCU). This milestone for the B61‑12 Life Extension Program (LEP) was completed Aug. 25, 2020 at the Pantex Plant located near Amarillo, Texas.

Read full press release on the NNSA website.

CIO expands capability for remote work during COVID-19 epidemic

Joe Harris left the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C., at the beginning of February this year and reported to work at Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC, (CNS) in Oak Ridge, Tenn. just 10 days later. The new chief information officer—with responsibility for leading the Information Solutions and Services organization—had no idea a worldwide pandemic would thrust incredible requirements on the CNS employees and organization shortly after his arrival.

Read full press release on the NNSA website.

The first DOE site to conduct an exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic

Amarillo, TX – On August 13, Pantex conducted a successful full-scale emergency exercise, the first this year in the DOE Complex to be held with COVID-19 pandemic protocols in place.

Pantex regularly conducts emergency exercises and drills to practice and demonstrate the plant’s ability to effectively respond to a potential emergency event. During the recent exercise the Pantex Emergency Response Organization (ERO) implemented unique safety controls to mitigate potential spread of COVID-19 while conducting the exercise.

“Pantex Emergency Management and ERO members were able to think outside of the box and conduct a full-scale exercise that allowed for COVID-19 controls to be in place,” said Daniel Gleaves, Pantex Emergency Services Senior Director. “Pantex has blazed the trail and identified lessons learned that sites throughout the Complex will use.”

From operations onsite to the Joint Information Center located at the Amarillo College downtown campus, ERO members implemented safety controls such as setting up stations differently with social distancing in mind, foregoing face-to-face for alternative means of communication, and limiting the number of evaluators while successfully meeting the exercise objectives.

“All responders followed COVID-19 controls no different than we do now at Pantex every day, which is to maintain social distance as much as possible, and all responders always wore their face coverings,” Gleaves said. “They were very conscious about continuously implementing COVID-19 controls during the response and were very adept at identifying ways to get the job done when controls impacted their actions.”

Third party evaluators gave the following statement on the exercise, “Pantex emergency responders and site employees ultimately demonstrated that the site can respond to an Operational Emergency effectively while operating under COVID-19 pandemic protocols.”

Pantex Site Manager Todd Ailes said he was proud of the way Pantex Emergency Management ERO members handled the new protocols. “While it was challenging to run an exercise with pandemic protocols in place, our people understood the importance of running these exercises and stepped up to work together.”

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC 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. CNS member companies include Bechtel National, Inc.; Leidos, Inc.; ATK Launch Systems, Inc.; and SOC LLC. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on 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
Communications
Office (806) 573.0490
Stephen.Myers@pantex.doe.gov

Kennedy Venneman, a professional chemistry major at West Texas A&M University, spent her second summer interning at Pantex this year. (No mask necessary in workspace.)

Across the country, college students have been forced to adjust schedules and routines for the upcoming academic year in response to COVID-19. Despite the changes it has brought, CNS successfully committed to providing educational development opportunities for students this summer as a part of the CNS Internship Program.

In June, Pantex and Y-12 welcomed 40 participants, 16 at Pantex and 24 at Y-12, to the 2020 intern class! Each had the opportunity to learn what CNS has to offer, virtually and in person.

Behind the mission
Brittany Schidel, a mechanical engineering major pursuing her master’s degree at the University of Tennessee, was prepared to begin her first internship at Y-12. Growing up in Knoxville, she was familiar with the site’s history and even got to attend student outreach events at New Hope Center. Nonetheless, the knowledge she has gained from her time interning with Y-12 Reliability & Maintainability was eye opening.

“I was surprised by the amount of information I have learned in such a short period of time,” Schidel said. “I have been able to participate in field work along with supporting the condition based maintenance team in their future projects on site. Everyone has been so helpful with teaching me about the site and allowing me to work hands on with them and understand what the Preventive Maintenance team does at Y-12.”

As a Ph.D. pre candidate in nuclear engineering at the University of Michigan, Thomas Folk looked forward to interning at Y-12 for the first time. Along with having the opportunity to relate his curriculum to real world experience, Folk was also eager to apply and contribute to the mission after learning more about Y-12 at the Millennial Nuclear Caucus at New Hope Center in 2019.

During his interview, Folk admittedly knew he was in the right place for the summer.

“A big reason that drove me to want to intern at Y-12 is through the conversation with my hiring manager during an interview,” Folk said. “Not only did I want to take on an internship for the technical aspect, I equally desired to build leadership qualities and strong team working abilities.”

A ‘new normal’ summer
With her sights set to become a future chemical engineer, Danica Ruiz, a chemical engineering major at Texas Tech University, knew Pantex would allow her to gain the skills to do so through improving her technical experience and problem solving skills. As the summer approached, Ruiz admits she was thankful that CNS made the effort to preserve the internship program despite the pandemic.

“CNS has made every effort to ensure our safety and well-being by implementing teleworking and a remote onboarding process,” Ruiz said. “Since I have been able to start working on site, everyone at Pantex has been welcoming while still encouraging and participating in social distancing. I am incredibly thankful for the valuable experience I have gained in this short amount of time. CNS has shown their ability to continue towards their mission without compromising safety.”

For Bryce Rogers, a business management major with a concentration in project management at Elon University, his second year interning at Y-12 looked a little different than the last. As Rogers primarily teleworked through his internship, his experience with Y-12 Supply Chain Management proved to be just as valuable and engaging.

“Everyone who I’ve spoken with has tried to keep a positive outlook on everything,” Rogers said. “This is obviously not how many of us expected to be performing our internships this summer; however, many of the employees continue to be just as engaged and impactful to my experience here, just as if I was standing right there in their cube.”

While working with Y-12 Supply Chain Management, Rogers admittedly not only took away practical skills for the future by getting involved with daily meetings and tasks. He also began to understand the gravity of the mission.

“The fact that I get to tell people the work that we perform every day helps keep the country safe is something that I never thought I’d get a chance to say,” Rogers said. “To be completely honest, the work that we do here is just plain cool.”

Thomas Folk took part in the CNS mission this summer interning with Y-12 Global Security. (No mask necessary in private space.)

As a mechanical engineering major at West Texas A&M, Hector Rivero Figueroa (left) looked forward to interning with Pantex Engineering, “because it is one of the best careers to have here in the Amarillo area.”

Drew Rowlands (center), an intern with Pantex Fire Protection, was able to refine his skillset as a fire protection and safety engineering major at Oklahoma State University.

For Brittany Schidel, taking part in hands‑on experiences, means learning how condition‑based maintenance is able to improve workflow on‑site and assist areas of the plant.