DOE studies Y-12 plant upgrades, activists propose shutdown
“Cease weapons production, pursue the long-neglected mission of dismantling nuclear weapons at Y-12,” Ralph Hutchison, coordinator for the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, said in a statement.
Hutchison said closing a plant that makes parts for virtually every nuclear warhead in the U.S. arsenal “has the virtue of a positive environmental impact in every conceivable way. And it has the further benefit of being morally defensible.”
This is not one of the four options on DOE’s agenda, though spokesman Steven Wyatt said “You have to consider all proposals.”
DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration already is constructing a $320 million fortress-like building to hold Y-12’s storehouse of bomb-grade uranium, the largest in the country. The building is scheduled to be finished by 2008.
Now DOE is studying whether to build a companion building ? a new highly enriched uranium processing building, which could cost around $1 billion.
The four proposals being considered by DOE range from building the new processing structure to continuing operations as they are today. DOE also is considering upgrading existing facilities or reducing operations as they wear out.
Hutchison said the proposed study should at least “calculate the increased risk of catastrophic attack by another country or group” on a modernized Y-12.
“We will take comments and go from there,” Wyatt said.
DOE’s draft recommendation should be ready next summer and a round of public meetings will be held. A final decision will be made by the end of 2006, Wyatt said.
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On the Net:
Y-12 nuclear weapons plant: http://www.y12.doe.gov