The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) – the federal agency responsible for overseeing and modernizing the United States’ nuclear arsenal – announced furloughs for most of its staff on Monday due to the prolonged government shutdown.
Approximately 1,400 NNSA employees will receive furlough notices on Monday, while fewer than 400 will remain on duty to guard the arsenal, Department of Energy spokesman Ben Ditterich told CNN.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright will speak about the shutdown’s impact on the United States’ nuclear deterrence efforts during a visit to the Nevada National Security Site.
The NNSA Office of Secure Transport, which is responsible for moving nuclear weapons around the country, will be funded through October 27.
“Since its creation in 2000, the NNSA has never furloughed federal workers during funding gaps,” Ditterich noted in a statement. “We had no choice this time. We continued funding to the extent possible.”
The first furloughs will affect NNSA sites where nuclear weapons are assembled, such as Pantex in Texas and Y-12 in Tennessee, a source familiar with the situation told CNN. Because these facilities require large teams to manufacture weapons, the furloughs will push these sites into a safe shutdown mode.
“Contractors will continue to perform only minimal work until they run out of funds”
– Second source
“But the daily oversight of these contractors, approvals and monitoring, and keeping everything afloat will stop because the people responsible for oversight will be on furlough”
– Second source
The first round of furloughs marks the agency’s first wave of disruptions.
“Any minimal contractor work – weapon construction, enrichment of special nuclear material, stockpile oversight – will halt when funds run out”
– Second source
“The earliest this could happen is around October 28”
– Second source
“At that point the agency will no longer be able to supply weapons to the Department of Defense. Everything will be shut down”
– Second source
A shutdown in the middle of ongoing operations creates its own challenges.
“To halt in the middle of disassembling or assembling nuclear weapons, several steps are needed to keep everything safe for storage,” explained the second source. “And then, when you resume, you have to do it all in reverse to restart. It takes time – it’s not as simple as turning on a light”
– Second source
So far, neither of the two NNSA sources sees an immediate threat to national security.
“The nuclear stockpile today is secure and can fulfill the mission for which it was designed”
– Second source
“But if we can’t continue modernization and oversight, then the stockpile’s reliability will suffer, and it will take time to fix”
– Second source
Security at weapons and nuclear material sites will remain on duty. However, the shutdown of operations at Pantex and Y-12 will slow the modernization of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, CNN sources said.
“While the Department of Energy and the NNSA remain committed to safety and guarding America’s nuclear deterrent, the longer the shutdown lasts, the greater the damage and serious consequences for keeping personnel and upgrading weapons that are critical to national security”
– Ditterich, statement
Inside the agency, frustration is growing over the funding crisis and the need to respond to the funding shutdown, which could affect staffing and the future modernization of the nuclear arsenal.
“There is a lot of frustration and disappointment that Congress can’t do this,” said one source. “Especially given what is at stake.”
– Source