Aging technology endangers Pantex security, auditors warn

Technicians at the Pantex Plant in Texas ready a B-61 nuclear gravity bomb for a 2007 surveillance test.

Technicians at the Pantex Plant in Texas ready a B-61 nuclear gravity bomb for a 2007 surveillance test. National Nuclear Security Administration

Energy Department IG says plant's security system could malfunction if it does not receive maintenance.

A deteriorating nuclear-weapon security system at the Pantex Plant in Texas could malfunction if it does not receive maintenance, the U.S. Energy Department inspector general warned in a report made public on Friday.

The technology had a projected "useful life" of two decades upon entering use in the 1990s and it is now in need of sustainment updates, an insider with a branch of the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees U.S. nuclear weapons complex operations, told DOE auditors.

The facility near Amarillo switches out or fixes components in certain nuclear arms, and it carries out disassembly of weapons retired from the atomic arsenal. The protective apparatus is specifically designed to protect "Zone 4W," the sole area of the Texas plant involved in short-term storage of atomic armaments and "other nuclear explosive assembles," according to the Jan. 29 assessment.

Any failure in the defenses would necessitate the use of "compensatory measures" to shore up protections, according to NNSA and Pantex personnel. No details on the system are publicly available, and the IG report does not specify what security vulnerability could arise from any malfunction.

Existing regulations permit employment of stopgap protections, but overuse of such measures contributed to failures revealed in a July break-in at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee, DOE auditors said, citing previous findings.

The National Nuclear Security Administration has called for Pantex personnel to develop a proposal to "upgrade or replace" the Zone 4W security system, insiders with both organizations told auditors. Neither the National Nuclear Security Administration nor the plant's contract operator responded by press time to requests for further details.

The Texas facility is now operated by contractor B&W Pantex, a conglomerate managed by the firms Babcock & Wilcox, Bechtel National and Honeywell. A separate consortium of four private contractors is set to take over security and management of the Pantex and Y-12 sites on May 1.

Inspectors said the National Nuclear Security Administration "recognizes the potential security concern posed by the aging security system." Still, the agency as of November had not endorsed a "mission need statement" submitted three months earlier by Pantex personnel, they added; the Energy Department requires such statements in an effort to adhere to project time lines as well as cost and performance goals.

Separately, DOE investigators voiced concern over the dilapidated status of a number of nuclear-material holding structures at the Pantex Plant, but one site worker said delays in repairs to the buildings would pose no risk of accidents or security lapses.

The storage area is filled to roughly 86 percent of its capacity, the report states. A Pantex source told IG officials that the plant does not anticipate a space shortfall based on the average rate of eliminating unneeded parts, but the insider could not provide records to support the assertion.

The report also commends the Pantex Plant for surpassing its fiscal 2010 weapon disassembly goal by 26 percent and its fiscal 2011 dismantlement quota by 11 percent. The United States does not disclose the specific quantities of weapons it eliminates.

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.