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

(dollars in thousands)
FY 2010
Actual
Approp
FY 2011
Request
FY 2012
Request
the technical needs of those responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining nuclear
criticality safety throughout the DOE. The collaboration with the French CEA will lead toward
joint operations of unique critical experiments capability (e.g. a mixed actinide super prompt
critical solution assembly) for validating criticality safety design codes for a variety of
applications important to the DOE including new reactor designs and alternative fuel cycles.
• Nevada State Regulatory environmental compliance issues that resulted from years of nuclear
testing activities in Nevada to geologic studies performed by the U.S. Geological Survey
Department.
• Nuclear Safety R&D activities to influence the technical foundations for authorization basis
decision making and reaffirmation of authorization bases of defense nuclear facilities and
associated operations.
• The training, development, and technical apprenticeship of new associates for critical skills at
NNSA production plants, along with the technical resource pipeline and production assurance
required to sustain critical production and engineering capabilities.
• The capabilities needed for integrated and engineered Nuclear Warhead Certification at SNL.
Specific activities supported by Program Readiness at Sandia include: Weapons Intern
Program (WIP), which is important in developing and maintaining critical skills; Technology
Readiness, necessary to support any future LEPs; NNSS Radiography (e.g., Cygnus Operators
and Scientists); and Qualification Alternatives to the Sandia Pulsed Reactor (QASPR)
applications consistent with developing and maturing technology.
Material Recycle and Recovery (MRR) 69,224 70,429 85,939
The RTBF MRR provides for recycling and recovery of plutonium, enriched uranium, and tritium
from fabrication and assembly operations, limited life components, and dismantlement of weapons
and components. Supports the implementation of new or improved processes for fabrication and
recovery operations, material stabilization, conversion, and storage. The MRR supports the process
of recycling and purifying materials to meet specifications for safe, secure, and environmentally
acceptable storage, and to meet the directive schedule for tritium reservoir refills. The funding
request provides additional recycling and recovery activities to support the increased workload
associated with LEP production rates, additional weapon surveillance activities, increased piece part
disassemblies and increases in Campaign and Sustainment work in the nuclear facilities. Recycling
and recovery activities will be supported by DSW when the scope exceeds the base capability
provided by the MRR program. The MRR is principally accomplished at LANL, the SRS Tritium
Extraction Facility and Y-12.
Weapons Activities/
Readiness in Technical Base and Facilities Page 153
FY 2012 Congressional Budget