Pantex suspends operations as nearby Panhandle fires threaten nuclear weapons plant
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/fire/2024/02/27/pantex-ceases-operations-after-incident-at-nuclear-weapons-plant
Operations at the Pantex nuclear weapons plant have been paused until further notice Tuesday evening as nuclear security officials monitor wildfires near the facility northeast of Amarillo.
Currently we are responding to the plant, but there is no fire on our site or on our boundary," Laef Pendergraft, a nuclear safety engineer with the National Nuclear Security Administration production office at Pantex, said in a news conference Tuesday night.
"We have evacuated our nonessential personnel from the site, just in abundance of caution, but we do have a well-equipped fire department that has trained for these scenarios and is on-site watching and ready should any kind of real emergency arise on the plant site," Pendergraft said. "We also have a fully-staffed emergency response organization who has activated. We are monitoring the scene and we will continue on through the night to ensure that the Pantex plant is protected and safe."
Officials announced about 8 p.m. Tuesday night they would suspend operations at the plant as fires edged closer to the site. All weapons and special materials are safe and unaffected, according to a statement from Pantex.
Earlier in the evening, Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) officials stated an undisclosed incident occurred at 6:13 p.m., and while there are response personnel at the scene, there were no confirmed details of that incident by that time, reads a news release from Pantex. "CNS and NNSA officials are directing response efforts," the news release continues. "Appropriate precautionary protection actions have been initiated for Pantex employees."
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