No Rewards for Bad Behavior

Much like giving sugar to a hyperactive kid, the Senate is making a mistake by giving the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) $1 billion in economic stimulus funds--$900 million for maintenance and general plant project backlogs, other construction activities, and various energy projects throughout the weapons complex, and $100 million for advanced computer research and development.

This is not a wise investment.  NNSA and its parent agency DOE are plagued with management challenges.  Instead of getting additional funds, NNSA should prioritize the money it already has to carry out the projects it considers critical, and to demonstrate that it is making improvements on its contract administration, stockpile stewardship, and quality control.

We understand from sources on the Hill that the Senate language ensures that none of the money will go to the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program or big (and unnecessary) construction projects like the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Project-Nuclear Facility (CMRR) at Los Alamos and the Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) at Y-12.  Apparently the Senate also did not fund NNSA's request for naval reactors.  In addition, while our sources cannot provide documentation, they say that the stimulus funds will only be used for smaller-scale construction projects in the range of $500-10,000, although we are highly skeptical that NNSA will be able to construct much of anything given its exorbitantly high overhead costs.

Today's issue of Nuclear Weapons and Materials Monitor provides more details on what NNSA actually is planning to do with the money [POGO commentary included]:

• $90 million for transformation disposition, the first stages of the NNSA's plans to demolish 600 buildings and structures around the complex [Holy cow! This much for only the first stage? We expect at least a dozen stages]; 

• $360 million for energy projects [Will this be for a couple of photovoltaic cells on a roof in New Mexico?];

• $400 million for dozens of minor general plant projects involving the replacement of utility poles and electrical systems, the repaving of roads, and maintenance [POGO expects 5-10 utility poles to be completed for this amount.]; and

• $50 million for site-wide security enhancements similar to what had been included in a previous version of the stimulus in the Fall [Hopefully, this doesn't mean more Gatling guns whose hydraulic systems don't work.].

Past experience has shown that everything DOE touches multiplies in price by at least five times.  Senators should also realize that these funds are unlikely to go towards preventing nuclear terrorism, as DOE spends at least 67 percent of its budget on weapons.  For example, in a long interview with veteran reporter Frank Munger, the Director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) did not mention using any potential stimulus money for moving the incredibly vulnerable U233 out of building 3019 at the Lab, which only a few years ago was supposedly a priority security issue that could not be addressed due to a lack of funding.  In a follow-up piece, Munger reported that ORNL is in fact trying to find ways to spend the money on UPF.

-- Ingrid Drake and Peter Stockton

Comments

[Insider]

Just shows how stupid you are as is the public. The $360 million in energy projects, the largest part of the NNSA package, would have enabled the NNSA to generate over 100 MW of electricity from wind and solar PV. This is over 28% of the entire NNSA complex's electricity usage and would have let the NNSA lead the nation in renewable energy. However, the people responsible for this short-sighted reduction have eliminated the funding. Thanks POGO for being anti-renewable energy!

[Nuclear guy]

If you guys want to be taken seriously, at least try to get the players right in your press releases. In the first Munger article you quote, Munger did not ask Thom Mason about using funding for Building 3019. He did not ask because ORNL has no say in the operations of Building 3019. That building and the materials therein were transferred to Isotek two years ago under the oversight of DOE's Environmental Management group. In the second Munger article you quote, Munger contacted Steven Wyatt of the NNSA about funding for the UPF. Steven Wyatt is not associated with ORNL in any way.