LANL Behind on Tests Critical to the Stockpile Stewardship Program

* LANL Behind on Tests Critical to the Stockpile Stewardship Program

The Department of Energy Office of the Inspector General recently audited the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Hydrodynamic Test Program and found that LANL had not completed the tests on schedule. LANL was also found to be behind in developing technology that would protect employees and the environment from exposure to hazardous materials used in the testing program. At the time of the audit, nine of the fifteen scheduled tests had experienced delays of up to two years, including three tests that had yet to be performed.

The tests are conducted at the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test facility (DARHT). The tests are non-nuclear because they use materials that cannot sustain chain reactions, such as depleted uranium, beryllium, lead and plutonium-242. During the tests, two X-ray machines photograph the interior of the materials being compressed to simulate a nuclear warhead and hazardous materials are released into the environment.

One problem identified in the audit is that LANL has not completed the development and implementation of an improved filtration system on the DARHT facility. Currently, an aqueous foam is used to filter the release of materials. However, the audit found that this strategy is neither the most efficient nor the preferred method for protecting employees and the environment. A senior LANL scientist told the auditors that "foam containment dramatically increased hazards to the workers involved at the firing point and increased the time and costs associated with executing hydrotests." Moreover, using the foam increases the amount of low-level radioactive waste generated by the testing.

The original plan for DARHT included the development of metal vessels to contain the tests. The vessels could then be removed from the site and cleaned at a remote facility, thereby improving the turnaround time for each test. However, LANL never fully developed the vessel design and is a year behind schedule to incorporate them into the program. The audit recommends that LANL expedite its work on the containment vessels.

Another problem identified was a lack of management and planning in the program. The audit states that delays were caused because LANL did not have detailed enough plans to schedule, delegate and fund the work. The audit recommends that LANL develop and utilize basic management plans that represent the scope of the project down to the lowest level of detail. Furthermore, it recommends that LANL assign the work to appropriate managers, who will then ensure its execution.

The test delays may have a major impact on the Stockpile Stewardship and Life Extension Programs. The mission of both programs is to maintain the U.S. nuclear arsenal without testing by making use of computer models. The models are used to design new components for the weapons, as well as ascertain what parts of the weapons need repair and replacement. Hydrodynamic tests are critical to the annual certification of the safety, reliability and performance of the nuclear weapons stockpile. The audit states "without these tests data, scientists lose one of their most important tools for evaluating the performance of weapon components, computer models, and aging of remanufactured components."

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