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

ACTIVITIES:
Directed Stockpile Work (DSW)
The Pantex Plant is charged with maintaining the safety, security, and reliability of the nation’s nuclear
weapons stockpile. Beyond being the principle site for all nuclear explosive assembly/disassembly
operations, Pantex evaluates, retrofits, and repairs weapons in support of both the Life Extension
Programs (LEP) and surveillance programs for the certification of weapons safety and reliability. As the
Enterprise’s High Explosive (HE) Center of Excellence, Pantex manufactures new HE and also performs
HE surveillance activities for on-going surveillance programs. In support of the non-proliferation core
mission, Pantex dismantles weapons that are surplus to the strategic stockpile, provides interim storage,
surveillance and monitoring activities for plutonium pits, and conducts demilitarization and sanitation
operations on components from dismantled weapons. Interim storage of plutonium pits supports the
nation’s material strategic reserve and feeds the Advanced Recovery and Integrated Extraction System
(ARIES), which is part of the LANL Pit Disassembly and Conversion (PDC) capability for mixed-oxide
fuel fabrication.
Engineering Campaign
Pantex supports the Engineering Campaign through the Enhanced Surveillance subprogram by
performing aging studies on explosives and non-nuclear materials and components. These results are
then provided to the Design Agencies for incorporation into the aging models. Work is also performed
with the Design Agencies to develop and deploy new diagnostics tools for implementation into DSW.
Readiness in Technical Base and Facilities (RTBF)
The RTBF Program provides the physical infrastructure and operational capabilities required to conduct
the DSW and Campaign activities. This includes ensuring that facilities are operational, safe, secure,
and compliant, and that a defined level of readiness is sustained to perform the current and future Pantex
mission. The RTBF provides funding directly in the Operations of Facilities program, as well as the
Storage, Program Readiness and Container subprograms in order for the site to meet its operational
commitments. In addition to these RTBF program elements, construction works cooperatively with the
Facilities and Infrastructure Recapitalization Program to provide the required plant infrastructure and
facility availability. These funds are crucial to maintaining critical safety systems in support of Nuclear
Weapons activities such as linear accelerator maintenance, Radiation Alarm Systems, Fire Suppression
Systems, and high explosive (HE) machining capabilities.
Secure Transportation Asset (STA)
Pantex directly supports the safety, security, and timeliness of STA’s convoy missions by ensuring the
readiness and reliability of the vehicle and trailer fleet and by supporting a base of operations for the
Federal Agents who execute the convoys. Pantex staffs, equips, and operates a Vehicle Maintenance
Facility and a Mobile-Electronics Maintenance Facility, which provide mechanical and electrical
services to Escort Vehicles, Armored Tractors, and Safeguard Transporters.
Facilities and Infrastructure Recapitalization Program (FIRP)
Pantex will prioritize projects for execution that align with the NNSA initiative to enhance reliability of
mission essential infrastructure. The FIRP at Pantex will continue to execute deferred maintenance
reduction projects in mission critical and mission dependent facilities. This strategy will improve
facility system reliability, minimize the risk of unscheduled facility outages and improve safety. Over
Pantex Plant Page 517
FY 2012 Congressional Budget