Amarillo, TX - Earlier this week, the National Nuclear Security Administration awarded a five-year contract to manage nuclear production operation at Pantex. And the NNSA says that could cut a little over $3 billion in tax money off the cost of doing business.
Beginning May 1st, Consolidated Nuclear Security will oversee nuclear production operations at Pantex for the next five years - and possibly five more after that. The administration says if that happens, $3.27 billion in tax dollars will be saved over the next decade.
When we contacted Pantex, they referred us to the National Nuclear Security Administration for comment.
In a news release, Thomas D'Agostino, NNSA Administrator, said, "...this contract puts NNSA in a position to improve mission delivery by generating significant savings that will be reinvested to improve safety, security, quality, and infrastructure."
Babcock and Wilcox, or B&W, had been managing the operation since 2001. B&W came under federal scrutiny last July after three environmental activists gained access to the Y-12 nuclear facility in Tennessee. However, that security breach was not mentioned as a factor - cost and performance were the main issues cited in the information provided by the NNSA.
If you'd like to read the announcement for yourself or read a Department of Energy report on the Tennessee incident, follow the links attached to this story.
