Fastener Problems Close Nuclear Weapons Plant

Jason Sandefur

A nuclear weapons plant outside Amarillo, TX, has resumed operations after fastener-related problems forced the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board to shut down the facility in December, the Amarillo Globe-News reports.
The Pantex Plant has resumed phased-in nuclear weapons operations after correcting a series of tooling problems related to fastener installation, officials said.
In a message last month to employees, Pantex officials claimed the shutdown was prompted by the discovery of threaded fasteners that were not torqued properly on a weapons fixture.
Earlier this month, Pantex Site Office Manager Dan Glenn wrote a letter to the defense board explaining that the plant is making short-term and comprehensive improvements to tooling programs, according to the Globe-News. The plant also has submitted a detailed tooling program plan for review.
“The special tooling program at Pantex has not demonstrated the level of rigor the National Nuclear Security Administration expects from a program directly supporting nuclear weapons operations,” Glenn”s letter said.
A previous program review found specialized nuclear weapons tools with missing, loose or broken parts, as well as parts that did not engage properly.
Pantex Plant is America”s only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility. \ �2005 FastenerNews.com