"On Thursday, the Government Accountability Office, a congressional watchdog agency, released a report assessing the NNSA's work to construct a new uranium processing facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The facility is intended to help safely and efficiently produce weapons-grade uranium for nuclear weaponry and naval reactor fuel for submarines and aircraft carriers."
"The plan for the new facility was to reduce the cost of processing highly enriched uranium by using modern equipment, incorporate other new technologies, and provide better worker and environmental protection. Y-12 officials told the GAO that in the new building, personnel won't need to wear personal protective gear to process uranium. In March 2018, NNSA projected the new facility to be completed by 2026 at a cost of $6.5 billion."
The National Nuclear Security Administration's uranium processing facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee is delayed to 2034 and now estimated at about $10.35 billion, roughly $4 billion over prior projections. The program began in 2004 and was projected in 2018 to finish by 2026 at $6.5 billion. The facility aims to consolidate uranium processing, modernize equipment, reduce processing costs, and improve worker and environmental protection. Y-12 officials said personnel would not need to wear personal protective gear in the new building. Continued reliance on degraded 80-year-old facilities raises safety concerns. NNSA cited poor contractor performance, late cost notices, and workforce issues as causes.
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