Laboratory Information:
NNSA - Pantex Plant
BWXT Pantex
12-15A
P. O. Box 30020
Amarillo, TX 79120-0020
Website: http://www.pantex.com/
Agency/Department: Dept. of Energy
Region: Mid-Continent
FLC Laboratory Representative:
Mr. Mike Whitley
Phone: 806-477-3590
Email: mwhitley@pantex.com
Background/History of the Laboratory:
Pantex Plant is America's only nuclear
weapons assembly and disassembly facility. Located on the High Plains of
the Texas Panhandle, 17 miles northeast of Amarillo, Pantex is centered on a 16,000-acre site just north
of U. S.
Highway 60 in Carson County. The Pantex Plant industrial operations are conducted for the DOE by a
management and operating contractor (BWXT Pantex), and Sandia National Laboratory. Seventy-six kilometers
(47
mi) of roads exist within the Pantex Plant boundaries.
Mission of the Laboratory:
Pantex has five primary operational missions:
1. Weapons Assembly: The Pantex Plant assembly mission,
which has been scaled back in recent years, is
accomplished with components furnished by DOE complex suppliers. In addition to initial production,
weapons
assembly activities include repairs, modifications, and updates to improve safety and reliability or
to incorporate
new technology. The nuclear physics packages for all weapons are assembled in assembly cells or assembly
bays, depending on the type of explosive and safety requirements. The mechanical assembly for most
warheads and center bomb assemblies is performed in assembly bays designed for maximum safety.
Operations performed during this stage of assembly include insertion of the physics package, installation
of
electrical parts, paint touch-ups, X-rays, and technical tests. The weapons' final assembly and packaging
includes tail assembly and the installation of the preflight assembly. Bombs are installed on a specially
designed trailer, and warheads are placed in drumlike containers.
2. Weapons Disassembly: Most of the weapons sent to Pantex
for disassembly were originally assembled at
Pantex. The DOE has disassembled some 50,000 nuclear weapons over the years in a safe, secure, efficient,
and environmentally sound manner. All weapons scheduled for dismantlement are subjected to a series
of
safeguard inspections within 72 hours of their arrival at Pantex. Only after the weapons pass these
tests are
they permitted to undergo the approved disassembly procedure. A variety of methods are used to disassemble
the weapons and dispose of the resulting materials in a manner that will protect the health and safety
of Pantex
employees, the public and the environment.
3. Evaluation of Weapons: To maintain the reliability
of the nation's weapons stockpile, weapons from all active
systems are randomly selected and returned to Pantex each year for surveillance testing and evaluation.
Certain components are removed from the weapon, assembled into test configurations, and subjected to
electrical and/or explosives testing. Extreme care is taken during the evaluation process to maintain
the
assembled and received condition of the weapon and its components. Data gathered as a result of the
testing
are reported to the DOE's design agencies. Components not destroyed during the testing process are recycled
for reacceptance and are available for use in future weapons system assemblies.
4. High Explosive Research and Development: Another mission
at Pantex is to develop and research the high
explosives that surround the nuclear components of weapons. The Applied Technology Division is responsible
for all activities at Pantex that involve the chemical high explosive components for nuclear weapons.
Safety is
paramount in all operations of this division. The High Explosives Synthesis Facility is used to develop
explosives and explosive processes and to produce small quantities of specialty high explosives not
available
from commercial sources. Applied Technology also provides chemical analysis to support plant environment,
safety, and health programs.
5. Interim Plutonium Pit Storage: As a result of arms
reduction initiatives and an increase in the volume of
nuclear weapons dismantlements, Pantex Plant has been designated as an interim staging site for plutonium
pits. A pit is a component made of plutonium metal and is the heart of a nuclear weapon.
Technology Areas of Expertise:
- Biological Effects
- Disposal of Waste
- Ecological Effects
- Environmental Restoration
- Industrial Hygiene
- Onsite and Offsite Movement of Waste
- Plutonium Storage and Handling
- Radiation
- Sampling and Analysis of Waste
- Tracking System for Waste Containers
- Waste Certification
- Waste Characterization or Description
- Waste Generation, Accumulation and Storage,
- Waste Management
- Waste Treatment
