News

The Pantex Fire Department recently won Best Ribs and People’s Choice Award at the annual Battle of the Badges Barbeque Style Cook-off. While there, the group presented the @100 Club of the Texas Panhandle with a $500 check to help further their mission of supporting area emergency workers. After the event, members of the fire department took all of the leftover barbeque to the men and women fighting the grass fires in Armstrong County.

Pantex recently held its annual Armed Forces Day celebration to recognize and thank veterans and active military members for their service in support of our country. The ceremony featured presentation of the colors by the Pantex Fire Department Honor Guard, recognition of the POW/MIA table, and a keynote address by Lyle Cary, CNS vice president for Safeguards, Security, and Emergency Services.

Pantex hosted a Partners in Excellence Outreach Forum attended by representatives from 61 companies looking to do work with CNS.

Small Business Program Manager Ryan Johnston said, “Pantex must have a broad base of contractors to partner with to ensure mission success. The forum provided local and national contractors the knowledge needed to establish these partnerships.”

Discussion included upcoming opportunities for construction related scopes, an overview of the site, and how to do business with CNS.

CNS hosted its inaugural Fellows Colloquium March 28 at Y 12, and CNS President and CEO Morgan Smith called it a historic day. The forum was established to highlight CNS’s vital technical work and to honor its first four fellows for their vast technical knowledge and their abilities to mentor others.

“This is our declaration that we are an organization that does work of tremendous scientific and technical significance for our nation, and this work requires the very best. It’s our most senior scientific and technical rank or title and connotes that we are engaged in activities that merit this level of personnel — equal to what occurs elsewhere in high technology industries,” said Smith.

Glenn Pfennigwerth (Uranium Fellow), Alan Moore (Metallurgy), Vincent Lamberti (Y 12 Surveillance), and Lorelei Woods (Pantex Surveillance) were recognized as our strategic advisors and top mentors and were pinned by Smith. With a combined 143 years of experience, these fellows set the bar high. Each fellow presented the state of their area of expertise, and 18 other Pantex and Y 12 technical experts presented posters covering diverse areas of expertise — from explosives and advanced manufacturing to nonproliferation and lithium.

“The colloquium was vitally important to showcase the great technical work we do and to honor the individuals who are leading us into the future,” said Ashley Stowe, CNS Fellows program manager. “The excitement for staff at Pantex and Y 12 encourages me as we move forward and continue to grow an excellent technical staff. This is just the beginning, however; we are already looking forward to hosting the 2019 colloquium at Pantex.”

The Leadership Amarillo Class of 2017/2018 recently visited Pantex. After a history overview, the group visited a weapon display and a security bearcat vehicle display. The community leaders also experienced an explosive demonstration at the firing site.

There is no Planet B, so Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC focuses on recycling everything from regular office paper to electronic equipment and scrap metal. In Fiscal Year 2017, employees at Pantex and Y-12 recycled more than 4.6 million pounds of materials, demonstrating their commitment to environmental stewardship.

Pantex Plant’s Emergency Management Department will conduct a site-wide Full-Participation Emergency Exercise on April 17. You may observe response personnel simulating response activities as part of the exercise. Do not be alarmed if you see some of this activity. Due to the scenario, a portion of Pantex may close during parts of the exercise. Please avoid the exercise areas as they are announced. For this exercise, plant personnel will be expected to take the announced protective actions. This is a large-scale exercise, so please limit calls to the OC. Do not call the OC to ask if you are participating.

Emergency exercises test the ability of emergency personnel to respond quickly and effectively to emergency situations and ensure the public, Pantex employees, and the environment would be protected in the event of an actual emergency. If you observe suspicious activity before or after April 17, please report your observations to 477-5000.

Pantex has a new fire truck that was built customized to input provided by Pantex fire department members.

The new Administrative Support Complex requires that the Pantex Fire Department be able to reach the third floor in the event of a fire, but the current equipment would only reach to the top of a two story building. Knowing that is would be a requirement, the fire department set the gears in motion for a new fire truck with a ladder a little over a year ago.

“We really started thinking outside of the box with this truck,” said Robert Napp, Pantex Fire Captain. “Knowing we needed something that would reach the top floors at the new building, the Fire Chief wanted the most capable piece of equipment we could get that would fit in our station. We started talking about what would be useful for us during rescues — how could we get the most bang for our buck.”

The new truck was built in the United States, but the 102 foot ladder that sits atop the truck was made in Germany by a company that has been in the business of making ladders for fire trucks for more than 100 years.

Pantex recently celebrated Engineering Week 2018 by hosting the Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day conference for more than 100 area high school girls. The event, organized by the Pantex Women in Nuclear (WIN) organization, featured interactive presentation booths and plenary sessions by women leaders in STEM fields. Consolidated Nuclear Security, WIN, and Pantex Outreach and Leadership Organization (POLO) hosted the inaugural conference in partnership with the Don Harrington Discovery Center, West Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, Asarco, Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering, and Bell Helicopter.

AMARILLO, Texas/OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – United Way contributions at the Pantex Plant and the Y-12 National Security Complex totaled some $1.1 million, Consolidated Nuclear Security, the sites’ managing and operating contractor, announced today. Contributions from employees, retirees and the corporation were gathered during the sites’ recent campaigns.

Corporate gifts of $150,000 also added to the total. Funds also were raised through special events, such as silent auctions, and the sales of jewelry, books and food items. This year, both sites’ employees added to their United Way activities by raising funds and supplies for local veteran resource centers.

“Pantexans have always been deeply committed to their community, as evidenced by the 10 percent increase in our Leadership Givers, those who donate $1,000 or more annually,” said Pantex Site Manager Todd Ailes. “The money raised here stays here, helping our neighbors in need.”

“Our employees come from all across East Tennessee and represent the diverse communities that make this such a special place,” said Y-12 Plant Manager Bill Tindal. “The fact that each United Way organization receives a representative percentage of employee contributions is what giving back is all about. I can’t think of a better way to help the people of your home community than through United Way.”

Y-12 employee contributions to the United Way are distributed in 17 East Tennessee counties, while Pantex contributions benefit the Texas Panhandle region and equated to 11 percent of the overall Amarillo and Canyon United Way campaign.

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS) operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a single contract for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on the performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects and delivery as promised.

For more information on each site, visit www.pantex.energy.gov or www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Pantex on Facebook, X or LinkedIn. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.