Problems at Pantex

The push to dismantle nukes at the National Nuclear Security Administration's Pantex plant outside Amarillo may have gone a bit overboard, according to a Ralph Vartabedian story in this morning's LA Times:

The Energy Department said Tuesday that it was investigating a series of alleged safety problems at its Pantex nuclear weapons plant near Amarillo, Texas, including complaints by employees that they were being required to work up to 84 hours a week to meet decommissioning schedules for nuclear weapons.

The complaints were first raised in an anonymous five-page letter sent last month to John Fees, president of BWX Technologies Inc., which operates the plant under an Energy Department contract. In a statement, the Energy Department said it began its investigation as soon as it received the letter.

(Hat tip for the story goes to the EPA's radiation news site , which is a great quick stop for a daily nuke news fix.)