Construction Largely Done at Y-12 HEU Storage Site

The Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee has finished major construction of its new highly enriched uranium storage facility, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 21).

The $549 million Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility must undergo a series of tests and reviews before beginning operations in 2010.  It is designed to store material from U.S. nuclear weapons and would replace a number of existing structures at Y-12 (Associated Press/VolunteerTV.com, Sept. 9).

Thousands of containers, filled with a classified amount of weapon-grade uranium, would be placed on special racks at the site, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.

Work began in 2004 on the facility, which saw its cost more than double as increased security requirements forced design updates.  Problems also arose during construction (Frank Munger, Knoxville News Sentinel, Sept. 10).

The Y-12 site is one of two facilities intended to be used for centralized storage and processing of enriched uranium, according to Representative Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.).

By consolidating HEU to a smaller footprint that is more secure and cost-effective, the HEUMF will be an example for moving from the Cold War-era into the future right here at Y-12,” he said in a press release (Representative Zach Wamp release, Sept. 9).

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