Department of Energy FY 2012 Congressional ... - The FIRE Place

(dollars in thousands)
FY 2010
Actual
Approp
FY 2011
Request
FY 2012
Request
such as the HE manufacturing facility are also included as Pantex awaits construction of new
HE operations facilities.
• Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) 103,618 117,369 120,708
The RTBF Operations of Facilities at SNL provides multiple capabilities in support of the
nuclear security enterprise, including: nuclear weapon assessment and certification; weapon
component design, testing and manufacturing, including LEPs; major environmental testing;
Microelectronics and Engineering Sciences Applications; engineering and material sciences;
remote testing ranges for joint test assemblies; and waste management activities. The dominant
cost driver for these capabilities is the staff required to keep the mission critical capabilities
operational.
In FY 2012, in addition to maintaining a level of expertise among the staff, RTBF will support
major environmental test facilities, including electromechanical, abnormal and normal
environments, Microelectronics Development Laboratory, Tech Area IV Accelerators,
Tech Area V Nuclear Reactor facilities, Electromagnetic Test Facilities, Materials
Characterization Laboratories and the Tonopah Test Range (TTR) in Nevada. Facilities will
cyclically operate at minimum-operations levels rotating staff on a planned schedule to
accommodate mission needs.
In FY 2012, the RTBF Operations funding provides minimum-operations capability level for
TTR while also providing limited recapitalization of equipment. The TTR provides unique
capabilities to air drop nuclear bomb test units, supporting DSW’s ability to perform surveillance
testing on nuclear bombs and test their compatibility with U.S. Air Force bombers and fighters.
Funding also provides for the initiation of recapitalization of testing equipment to support
increased DSW surveillance activities for the W76 and B61, and support for the essential
capabilities in microsystems and radiation hardness, engineering and material sciences that are
required to support the B61 LEP and potential LEPs on the W78 and the W88.
• Savannah River Site (SRS) 131,129 92,722 97,767
The RTBF Operations of Facilities at SRS provides the tritium operations capability in support
of the nuclear security enterprise, which is unique to the enterprise and includes: production,
reclamation of gas transfer systems for limited life component exchange and LEPs; production,
recycling, and recovery of tritium and deuterium gases; surveillance of Gas Transfer Systems;
packaging design, maintenance, and certification; and storage of national security legacy
components and materials.
In FY 2012, funding supports activities leading to the replacement of Thermal Cycle Absorption
Process hybrid beds, starts modernization activities of the existing facilities to support
infrastructure initiatives, and supports the DSW Limited Life Components (LLCs) schedule.
Weapons Activities/
Readiness in Technical Base and Facilities Page 151
FY 2012 Congressional Budget