Y-12 National Security Complex » About Y-12

Y‑12 is a top employer of quality jobs in Tennessee.

With almost 7,000 employees and subcontractors, Y‑12 is one of the largest employers in the Knoxville area and the fifteenth largest employer in the state. The site’s population, which includes one of the nation's largest concentrations of top engineering talent, contributes more than $4 billion in direct and indirect economic impact to the East Tennessee area, and helps generate over 24,000 area jobs.

Y‑12 is a key element in America's nuclear nonproliferation efforts.

Long known as the "Fort Knox" of uranium, Y‑12 was the obvious choice to receive Libya’s stash of nuclear materials. Y‑12’s ownership and handling of the material brought visits from Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Spencer Abraham and the White House Press Corps, as well as President George W. Bush.

Y‑12 is a major component in the stewardship of the nation’s nuclear stockpile.

After restarting its Wet Chemistry program in December 2004, Y‑12 is prepared to handle an aggressive schedule of disassembly and assembly for many of the nation's nuclear weapon warhead components.

The Y‑12 National Security Complex is a national leader in worker safety.

In a demanding environment, Y‑12’s 4,700-plus employees marked a six-million-hour safety milestone in December 2004 by working that number of hours without a lost workday. Six million hours is the equivalent of 100 people working a 30-year career without a lost-workday injury.

Y‑12 is continuously recognized for its award-winning environmental programs.

Y‑12 routinely maintains an excellent overall environmental compliance record. The facility also has received numerous Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration commendations, as well as the 2003 Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry Solid Waste Management Excellence Award and two national Pollution Prevention Environmental Stewardship awards in 2004.

Y‑12 is a world leader in safe and secure storage of nuclear materials.

Y‑12 is currently building the nation’s Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, which will be completed in 2007. In addition to it being a significant contribution to modernization at Y‑12, the 110,000 square-foot building will radically reduce the current storage footprint, while dramatically improving security and lowering costs.

Y‑12 is leading the DOE’s Nuclear Weapons Complex in 21st Century security.

Y‑12 was the first DOE site to introduce diskless technology and keyless entry. Now, engineers can work complex programs without any classified hard drives at processing speeds that can exceed the old hard-drive method. More than 500 keys in the most sensitive areas of the site were reduced to only 10, which will be eliminated shortly.

Y‑12 is a good neighbor in the East Tennessee community.

B&W Y‑12 pledged $1 million dollars to Oak Ridge High School (ORHS) for its renovation project. The National Nuclear Security Administration and B&W Y‑12 personnel also have begun helping ORHS to create a Manufacturing Academy that will help strengthen Y‑12’s and other local business’ work forces. This is in addition to over $250,000 in annual contributions to needy area charities.

Y‑12, through its Work for Others program, is a resource available to government and industry.

Through a federally mandated program, Y‑12, the only National Prototype Center in existence, can assist other government agencies and industry in solving their tough manufacturing problems. Every facet of manufacturing operations, from engineering design to manufacture, analysis, metrology, with technology insertion, can be accomplished on schedule, on budget. Under this program Y‑12 built the first propulsor for the U.S. Navy’s Seawolf submarine, the first hull and turret for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle, and the U.S. Army’s prototype Future Medical Shelter System.

Y‑12 provides Vulnerability Assessments to government and industry.

Because of the demanding security requirements necessary to protect the crown jewel of America’s weapons and nuclear stockpile, Y‑12 has a Vulnerability Assessment Resource Center second to none. This center will work with other U.S. facilities to bolster and improve their security as necessary to any level or standard.
Y‑12’s Technical Computing section is robust, action-oriented and attacking security issues that others are just starting to think about. They have national authorities on cyber-security, internet security protocols, and biometric integration available to assist others.