Year
2010
Abstract
The Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) plays a key role in the production and disassembly of the US nuclear weapons arsenal. Built in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project, Y-12’s first mission was the enrichment of uranium for the first atomic bomb. Since that time, Y-12 has produced material and components used in every weapon system in the stockpile. Much of Y-12’s focus over the years was in the processing of uranium. The 811 acre complex processed both enriched and depleted uranium for a variety of defense and non- defense purposes. Capabilities included a wide variety of processing, machining, research and development, production, and dismantlement activities. Historically, excess uranium that had been used in these activities was simply stored under the belief that there may be a use for it later. However, as the nation’s nuclear stockpile was reduced and dismantlements increased, it became clear that continued storage of all of these materials was neither practical nor desirable. After years of storage for potential uses, it was determined that much of the uranium material in its existing form was unsuitable for recovery or alternative uses. The storage facilities for these materials were nearing capacity and the option of expanding to new facilities was constrained by cost and by site-wide footprint reduction activities. Y-12 saw changes in requirements for storage and in customer expectations that could only be achieved with significant expenditures. It was at this point that the question was asked; “Does it make sense to spend money to build facilities to store material we don’t have a use for?”