Nevada Field Office (2020 Presidential transition)
The Nevada Field Office (NFO) provides direction, oversight, and performance evaluation of the Management and Operating (M&O) contract at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) in Las Vegas, Nevada, and associated facilities located in North Las Vegas, Nevada; Albuquerque and Los Alamos, New Mexico; Joint Base Andrews, Maryland; Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; San Diego and Santa Barbara, California; and New York. NFO is one of seven NNSA Field Offices.
The NNSS is a government-owned, contractor operated facility that supports high-hazard operations, testing, and training, supporting Stockpile Stewardship, Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, Emergency Response, National Security, Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation for DOE, NNSA, and many other government agencies. The site provides diagnostics and instrumentation; data analysis; materials staging; research test beds for nuclear high-hazard activities, including the nation’s primary criticality experiments platforms and chemical release test beds; and low level radioactive waste material disposition. The site manages security category I materials and facilities and nuclear safety hazard category 2 and 3 nuclear facilities and operations.
Supporting the DOE Mission
Goal 2: Nuclear Security
Strategic Objective 4
Maintain the safety, security, and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent without nuclear testing.
Strategic Objective 5
Strengthen key science, technology, and engineering capabilities and modernize the national security infrastructure.
Strategic Objective 6
Reduce global nuclear security threats.
Goal 3: Management and Performance
Strategic Objective 9
Manage assets in a sustainable manner that supports the DOE mission.
Strategic Objective 10
Effectively manage projects, financial assistance agreements, contracts, and contractor performance.
Strategic Objective 11
Operate the DOE enterprise safely, securely, and efficiently.
Strategic Objective 12
Attract, train, and retain the best federal workforce to meet future mission needs.
Mission Statement
The Nevada Field Office (NFO) provides direction, oversight, and performance evaluation of the Management and Operating (M&O) contract at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) in Las Vegas, Nevada, and associated facilities located in North Las Vegas, Nevada; Albuquerque and Los Alamos, New Mexico; Joint Base Andrews, Maryland; Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; San Diego and Santa Barbara, California; and New York. NFO is one of seven NNSA Field Offices.
The NNSS is a government-owned, contractor operated facility that supports high-hazard operations, testing, and training, supporting Stockpile Stewardship, Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, Emergency Response, National Security, Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation for DOE, NNSA, and many other government agencies. The site provides diagnostics and instrumentation; data analysis; materials staging; research test beds for nuclear high-hazard activities, including the nation’s primary criticality experiments platforms and chemical release test beds; and low level radioactive waste material disposition. The site manages security category I materials and facilities and nuclear safety hazard category 2 and 3 nuclear facilities and operations.
Budget
| Fiscal Year | Budget |
|---|---|
| FY 2019 enacted | $522,922,000 |
| FY 2020 enacted | $617,649,000 |
| FY 2021 requested | $858,178,000 |
*Does not include SPP funding
Human Resources
FY 2020 authorized full-time equivalents (FTEs): 78
History
The NNSS, formerly the Nevada Test Site, was established by President Truman on December 18, 1950 as the United States on-continent site for lower-yield atmospheric nuclear testing. Eventually, testing in the Pacific Ocean was halted and the nuclear weapons testing program moved to the NNSS; located 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. When the United States nuclear weapons testing program ended in 1992, the site had recorded a total of 928 nuclear tests. As a nation, 1,054 total nuclear tests were conducted by the United States. With the end of nuclear testing, the mission of the site evolved to a unique and indispensable extension of the national laboratories’ experimental capabilities in support of the Stockpile Stewardship Program, as well as other important national security missions (nonproliferation, counterterrorism, etc.).
In 1996, two physics experimental programs were located at NNSS to help understand the effects of aging on plutonium. The first was high explosive shock physics, or subcritical experiments, conducted at a facility nearly 1,000 feet underground, the U1a Complex. The second was high-speed (eight kilometers per second or 17,895 mph) impact experiments on plutonium using a two-stage gas gun, the Joint Actinide Shock Physics Experimental Research (JASPER) Facility. The site has become the nation’s leader in National Security with respect to nuclear/ radiological testing, training, and emergency response. NNSS has evolved into supporting a wide-range of other government agencies through the Strategic Partnership Program (formerly Work-for-Others) umbrella. In addition to on-going environmental cleanup of historic nuclear research and testing areas on NNSS, non-defense research, development, and training activities are conducted in cooperation with universities, industries, and other federal agencies.
Functions
NFO/NNSS activities support the following efforts:
- Stockpile Stewardship (NA-10)
- Non-Proliferation support (NA-20)
- National Emergency Response (NA-40)
- Infrastructure Modernization (NA-50)
- Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation (NA80)
- Nuclear Security of Category I (security) facility (NA-70)
- Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal [Environmental Management (EM)]
- Legacy clean-up (EM)
- Underground Test Area Groundwater Assessment (EM)
- Strategic Partnership Programs/Strategic Intelligence Partnership Programs
Recent Organization Accomplishments
Argus Security System
The Argus security system was successfully installed at the Device Assembly Facility (DAF) as part of NNSA’s enterprise security modernization program. Argus is NNSA’s recommended enterprise security system and integrates access control, intrusion detection, and video assessment of alarms to protect and control high-consequence assets. The DAF Argus project was a multi-year line-item project which was completed this year ahead of schedule and under budget. In August 2020, the Associate Administrator for Defense Nuclear Security (NA-70) certified the system for operation.
Stockpile Stewardship Program
The Stockpile Stewardship program at the NNSS assists in the monitoring of the nation’s nuclear stockpile through assessments of the safety, security, reliability, and effectiveness of nuclear weapon systems. These assessments rely, in part, on information obtained from the execution of subcritical experiments (SCE). SCEs provide data on the behavior and aging of special nuclear material without creating nuclear yield. The SCE program has been an essential element of the NNSA Stockpile Stewardship Program since underground nuclear testing was terminated in the early 1990s. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have successfully led and safely conducted 45 SCEs and 9 confirmatory experiments underground at the NNSS since 1997. Recent SCEs are the Lamarck confirmatory in 2018, Ediza in 2019, and Iris confirmatory and Nightshade A SCE in 2020. The NNSS stands ready to conduct up to 3 SCEs in 2021. The future plans for this important program include the creation of new diagnostic machines and expanded test beds at the underground facility on the NNSS. The Stockpile Stewardship Program ensures scientists have the critical data needed to verify the stockpile viability.
Source Physics Experiments
The Source Physics Experiments (SPE) nuclear test detection program, sponsored by NNSA, is a series of underground chemical explosions at testbeds adjacent to historic nuclear tests at the NNSS. SPE collects data to develop and validate physics-based computer models. SPE is carried out in multiple phases: six experiments in granite (Phase I, 2011–2016) and four experiments in alluvium (Phase II, 2018–2019). The experiments are executed in partnership with NNSS, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and the University of Nevada-Reno.
Emergency Communication Network
The DOE Emergency Communications Network (ECN) was modernized and the infrastructure optimized by moving the ECN infrastructure from the Remote Sensing Laboratory at Nellis Air Force Base to the Switch Las Vegas 9 Data Center Facility, both located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The scope of work included acquisition planning for Switch facilities; leased communications bandwidth; installation services for core network routing and data services infrastructure; and testing, evaluation and accreditation. The project was completed in late FY 2020 ahead of schedule and under budget.
Remote Sensing Laboratory Aviation Program
The Remote Sensing Laboratory Aviation program replaced three aging aircraft with three new special mission twin engine turboprop aircraft customized for the emergency response mission. These new aircraft incorporate mission system modifications and installations providing increased effectiveness and efficiencies in support of critical NNSA missions including aerial surveillance for radiological threats before or during major events, and the capability to conduct safe and rapid wide-area surveys of locations compromised by a radiological or nuclear incident. The acquisition, system integration, and operational deployment was conducted on schedule and under budget.
Mercury Modernization - Building 1 Project
The first new office building constructed in Mercury at the NNSS in 20 years and part of a new NNSS building program to transform Mercury into a smaller, more efficient and capable operations center that reduces risk and cost; saves energy; enables future missions; and supports a 21st Century workforce, Mercury Building 1 (23-460) was successfully completed on time and within budget. An excellent example of the type of administrative building that is needed to support the NNSA mission, major elements of the Mercury Building 1 design will be used at other sites to enhance mission capabilities across the enterprise.
Storm Area 51
In September 2019, NFO worked with local law enforcement; NNSA HQ and Field Offices; and other federal agencies to successfully manage the Storm Area 51 event. NFO prepared for the potential of 40,000 participants attempting to “storm” Area 51 through the NNSS. The security enterprise quickly came together, deploying 60 security police officers from across the DOE complex to support NNSS assets. During the three-day event, approximately 170 vehicles and over 300 people approached NNSS boundaries. Due to the pre-planning and close coordination with local, State, and Federal partners, there were no accidents or injuries and no trespassers. Mission impact to the site was minimal and normal operations were quickly resumed. The operation would not have been successful without the excellent relationship and strong coordination between NNSA program, functional, and field offices; the M&O partner; and local and Federal government agencies.
Leadership Challenges
- Line item projects associated with the Enhanced Capability for Subcritical Experiments are the Advanced Sources and Detectors (ASD) project and the U1a Capabilities Enhancement Project (UCEP). These coupled projects are the most important activities occurring at the NNSS over the next 5 years and will support stockpile stewardship and stockpile certification for decades to come. Successful execution requires coordination between the Defense Program office; the NNSS M&O contractor; three National Laboratories; four NNSA Field Offices; the safety and security functional offices; and the NNSA Office of Acquisition and Program Management. The NFO in conjunction with the NNSS M&O contractor must successfully orchestrate all of these disparate organizations to ensure that safety, security, and infrastructure combine to support the science and mission priorities of the NA-10 Program Office.
- Critical skills hiring and retention
- Modify, approve, and implement multiple nuclear safety bases in conjunction with completing start-up activities to support the national security program schedules/deliverables.
- Continue focus on operational excellence between NNSS facilities/assets, the National Security Laboratories (LANL, LLNL, and SNL), and the respective NNSA Field Offices.
- Enhance collaborative working relationships and communications between DOE/NNSA and the state of Nevada.
Critical Events and Action Items
None.