Stories

Bombs away — warheads safely recycled

What is the nation to do with the valuable, and in some cases, hazardous components and materials used in the production of nuclear weapons? The answer: Safely and securely dispose of them in ways that protect the environment, or store them until an effective disposition path is developed.

Y‑12's goal is to identify safe and secure disposition paths for all materials, including uranium.

A working group with representatives from Directed Stockpile Work's (DSW's) Dismantlement and Disposition Program, Material Recycle and Recovery, and Waste Management meets regularly to ensure disposition efforts are integrated.

The dismantlement of as many as seven retired weapon systems is planned in the next 5 years. These systems include

• air-dropped bombs,
• Minuteman I,
• Minuteman III,
• Lance tactical missile and
• Spartan surface-to-air missile.

The nuclear stockpile's size and composition are being reduced to meet arms limitation treaties and national security needs. The Moscow Treaty of 2002 commits the U.S. and Russia to a total of 1,700 to 2,200 deployed warheads each by the end of 2012. This commitment requires accelerated dismantlement and disposition efforts to reduce the need to hold large amounts of materials in reserve. The question is how and where to dispose of the surplus materials in a safe, secure and environmentally sound way.

The Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, performs initial dismantlement and sends the components that were originally produced at Y‑12, including the secondary, back to the plant for final dismantlement and disposition.

When a component or material is recycled after recovery, it becomes feedstock for new material, much as recycled steel and aluminum are now used in making new cars. Highly enriched uranium in excess of national defense needs is down blended to provide fuel for nuclear reactors.

Vendors help dispose of components and handling gear that are contaminated, contain substances regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), or have been in areas where exposure to radiation is possible. These items and materials must be disposed of in accordance with federal and state laws, which prohibit the recycling of some materials that may be used by the public.

For example, Y‑12 is using a vendor to process the re-entry vehicle for the Minuteman I warhead. The vendor is entombing RCRA-regulated contaminated materials in reactor shielding. Non-RCRA materials are burned in an appropriately licensed industrial incinerator.

Components retained for reuse are placed in secure storage after cleaning and inspection. Legacy components (parts produced for weapons that have been retired or are surplus) are recycled or packaged for burial in secure, licensed landfills at Y‑12 or the Nevada Test Site (NTS).

Materials are shipped to NTS in special containers. In 2005, while awaiting the required redesign and recertification of the container used to ship materials, Y‑12 developed six additional material characterization profiles. These new profiles support the shipment of additional materials and ensure that future shipments will comply with NTS criteria. Y‑12 is developing two more profiles.

In the first quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2006, DSW's Dismantlement and Disposition Program shipped 3,100 cubic feet of classified, contaminated, non-RCRA components and materials to NTS, which was 24 percent more than planned. DSW has a target of shipping 10,000 cubic feet to NTS in FY 2006.

A driver in the disposition of weapon-related materials is Y‑12 modernization. Because a significantly smaller manufacturing and Defense Programs‑related footprint is projected, disposing of Y‑12's surplus materials will improve the site's security posture.

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