SITE DESCRIPTION - NNSA FY2005 Congressional Budget Request (598-601)

History:
The Navy constructed the original plant, in 1941, to produce aircraft engines. In 1948, the Atomic Energy Commission obtained a significant portion of the war surplus plant, and selected the Bendix Corporation to produce electrical and mechanical components for nuclear weapons. Bendix managed the plant until 1982, when it was merged with Allied Signal. In 1999, Allied Signal merged with the Honeywell Corporation and renamed the new company Honeywell International. The Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies Division manages and operates (M&O) the KCP for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The current and future missions are consistent with the Record of Decision for the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Preliminary Environment Impact Statement, December 19, 1996.

Management:
Honeywell was awarded a new 5-year contract for the management and operation of the plant. This contract began January 1, 2001 and has a value of $1.7 billion over 5 years. After the contract period, DOE has the option to extend the contract for another 5 years.

WEAPONS ACTIVITIES:

Directed Stockpile Work (DSW)
FY 2005 activities include preproduction engineering, tooling, and material procurement associated with the W76 and W80 Life Extension Programs (LEPs), and production associated with the B61 Alteration (Alt) 357 LEP First Production Unit (FPU). Enduring Stockpile System production activities include Firing Set, Environmental Sensing Devices, Lightening Arrestor Connector, and Aft Subassembly surveillance rebuilds in addition to lab and flight test sampling. Major reservoir production continues for the W76, B61, and W80 Enduring Stockpile Systems, and reservoir development activities include the W78 and W88 Systems.

Engineering Campaign
In FY 2005, KCP has a primary role in the development of new flight instrumentation techniques that enable the acquisition of detailed information regarding structure and performance of weapons at the highest possible environmental and configuration fidelity. The FY 2005 funding supports High Explosive Radio Telemetry (HERT) III and Engineering Development Telemetry (EDTM) flight tests, and new materials and components aging studies.

Readiness Campaign
In FY 2005, the Nonnuclear Readiness funding level ($25.4M) includes the replacement of test equipment required to accept new production products in support of LEPs, and reflects implementation of as-built/design model archiving and transfer capabilities and automated feature-based manufacturing development, manufacturing, and inspection for production of W76 and W80 components.

Tritium Readiness FY 2005 activities ($3.3M) include the remainder of facility preparation including equipment procurement and installation, as well as engineering and inspection development for the two KCP assigned components of the Tritium Producing Burnable Absorber Rod assembly.

FY 2005 Advanced Design and Production Technologies activities ($18.9M) include developing stronglinks and their associated testing equipment concepts, developing cable tester and other automated inspection methods that will interpret complex data and retain digital data of the acceptance. Classified computing with more applications will be made available to the engineering desktops.

Readiness in Technical Base and Facilities
In addition to the continual support of fundamental services, key activities for FY 2005 include procurement of the $3.1 million Automated Storage and Retrieval System major item of equipment, construction of one General Plant Project (GPP) project and design of 4 GPP projects to position the KCP for future GPP construction activity. Several projects are nearing completion (Replace Boilers and Controls and Structural Upgrades) or are well underway (Stockpile Management Restructuring Initiative). The Gas Transfer Capacity Expansion project is currently in design.

Facilities and Infrastructure Recapitalization Program
Facility and Infrastructure Recapitalization Program projects are replacing and upgrading systems in essential production facilities in support of Limited Life Component production and LEPs for the W-87, B-61, W-76, and W-80 weapons programs. FIRP also has initiated the complex-wide Roof Asset Management Program (RAMP) to establish and implement a corporate approach for the management of NNSA’s roofing assets, which is expected to result in improved cost efficiencies, improved quality of life extension of NNSA’s roofing assets, consistent approach and common standards for optimal roofing repairs and replacement, and additional deferred maintenance reduction. Long needed roof repairs are underway across the vast and complex roofing system covering the plants DSW activities.

Safeguards and Security
In FY 2005, the KCP will complete a two-year effort to replace aging interior alarm equipment, improve alarm system reliability and maintenance requirements, and increase alarm point capacity. The plant has developed a Design Basis Threat (DBT) Implementation Plan to address new protection requirements for the site. As part of the National Threat Level Alert System, the plant may occasionally have to implement additional compensatory security measures.

DEFENSE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION

Nonproliferation and International Security (NIS)
The KCP supports NIS’s commercialization efforts in the former Soviet Union.