DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD

January 3, 1997

1. DNFSB Activity Summary:Harry Waugh was on site this week except for the New Years day holiday. Jim McConnell continued on leave this week and will not return until Monday January 6, 1997.

2. New Issues:

a. W79: The W79 Program Manager has generated a revised program schedule. It has not been officially released yet and almost certainly will be criticized by DOE/AL/WPD if and when it is. This schedule estimates that the W79 NESS will occur in November of this year and that the Pilot Lot First Dismantlement Unit (FDU) will occur in the middle of January, 1998. LLNL has transmitted to Pantex 12 Draft NEOPs which they have created to cover what they describe as, "Credible Deviations and Contingencies", associated with the operation of their designed and fabricated Work Stations. We haven't had a chance to review these NEOPs yet, but the M&H engineer on the program has indicated that these procedures reflect LLNL's experience to date with respect to operational difficulties, maintenance problems resulting in temporary shutdowns, etc. There has been no information received here yet with respect to the Picatinny testing of the W79 Rocket Motor propellant. It has been indicated that preliminary information is available on two of the six motors. However, we understand that all official information on the tests must be released via LLNL.

b. B61-11: The B61-11 is a new Mod of the B61 being converted from existing B61 Mod 7s. The basic differences in the two Mods are in the nose and tail configurations, and the elimination of the B61-7 parachute and gas generator. The similarities are that all B61-11 internal case hardware and components ,including the IHE physics package and warhead electrical system, are from the B61-7. Planning for a required B61-11 NESS is currently in progress. The B61-11 Project Team has recommended that the scope of the B61-11 Ness be limited to Receipt Inspection, Handling & Transportation, Disassembly operations down to the Support and Cap Assembly, and Assembly operations beginning with the Support and Cap Assembly through final assembly. This whole picture is clouded by the fact that the B61-7 has a NESS Revalidation scheduled for May and the B61-7/11 are supposed to begin the SS-21 process in November

3. Issue Follow-Up:

aB61-2: The B61-2 dismantlement activity continued smoothly through the holiday season. As of today, there are only 71 weapons remaining to be disassembled.

4.Future Activities:

1. January ? - M&H AT-400A Corporate ORR
2. January ? - DOE AT-400A ORR (follows conclusion of M&H ORR)
3. January 7 - W87 NESS Revalidation begins
4. January 8 - Bi-Monthly Production Meeting
5. January 14 - Pit Thermal Meeting
6. January 14 - W84 D&I Safety Evaluation
7. January 21 - W69 NESS
8. February 4-21 W68 Dismantlement NESS
9. February 11 - W80 NESS Revalidation begins