Year
2006
Abstract
The Chemistry and Metallurgy Research building (CMR) is a 550,000 square foot building constructed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) between 1949 and 1952. The CMR building currently houses mission critical analytical chemistry, materials characterization, and actinide research and development capabilities. These capabilities support the National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) stockpile stewardship missions as well as providing potential capacity for programs within Nuclear Nonproliferation, Nuclear Energy, and Environmental Management. The Risk Management Strategy for the CMR facility commits NNSA and LANL to manage the facility to a planned end-of-life on or about the year 2010. The Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement (CMRR) project is tasked to relocate and consolidate mission-critical capabilities associated with the existing CMR Facility. Two facilities are currently being planned; the first, a Radiological Laboratory Office and Utility building (RLOUB); the second, a Hazard Category II and Security Category I Nuclear Facility. The design/build contract for the Radiological Laboratory has been awarded, and the contractor is currently working on the preliminary design of the building with construction to begin early next year. The Nuclear Facility and associated Special Facility Equipment are currently in the preliminary design phase with final design to start in late 2007. The CMRR has a unique mixture of Special Nuclear Material control and accountability issues. These issues include managing Special Nuclear Material inventories at the sub-gram level to Analytical Chemistry/Material Characterization operations that vary from sub-gram to kilogram levels. In addition, the facility will have long-term and high frequency access storage vaults. These are both opportunities and challenges associated with the inclusion of modernized material control and accountability systems in a new nuclear material facility.