Gas Centrifuge Research Comes Home to Oak Ridge

Number 48 May 2003 Gas centrifuge research comes home to Oak Ridge RNL’s largest cooperative R&D supplanted electromagnetic O agreement is a homecoming, of sorts, enrichment (Y-12’s calutrons) at for a technology that was developed largely at the end of World War II, is Oak Ridge, involving ORNL scientists and becoming economically obsolete. engineers. The Laboratory and USEC Inc. are The gaseous diffusion process working together to upgrade gas centrifuge uses 20 times the power that gas operations with the aim of providing the centrifuges require to produce the United States with a state of the art domestic same amount of product. capability for uranium enrichment. The United States had three Doug Craig is heading the ORNL side of gaseous diffusion plants—the the project that will take a uranium enrich- Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion ment technology developed in the 1960s and Plant (Oak Ridge’s former K-25 70s and inject the technical advances of the facility), Portsmouth and ensuing decades. Paducah, Kentucky. ORGDP “Oak Ridge is one of the last places left in closed in 1985; Portsmouth the United States with scientists who under- ceased operations about two years stand the gas centrifuge process,” Doug says. ago. Paducah is now the sole “It involves an array of different technologies. domestic source for enriching A gas centrifuge cascade at the former K-25 Site We’ve put together a pretty impressive team uranium for reactor fuel, “and it’s shows that the technology works on a grand scale. involving three directorates and about 20 getting old,” Doug says. different groups, heavy in materials and Just a few years ago an oversupply of currently a producer of enriched uranium, as analysis.” enrichment capacity, coupled with a reduction are France and Russia. Other sources include USEC is managing the project, which in demand brought on by events such as the downblended, highly enriched uranium from involves upgrading facilities at the former Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents, Russia, another program managed by USEC gaseous diffusion plant in Portsmouth, Ohio, took the impetus away from producing more called the “Megatons to Megawatts” to house the American Centrifuge Demonstra- fuel. program. tion Facility. Gaseous diffusion, which A multinational company, URENCO, is (See CENTRIFUGE, page 5) ‘Farewell’ After three furiously productive years as Lab director, Bill Madia is moving on RNL Director Bill Madia told the staff on Battelle, Bill will become a member of the ORNL Reporter had a quick interview with O April 28 that his time at the Lab is UT-Battelle board of governors. Bill just after the announcement. almost up. The news caused a buzz in the surrounding With so much to hang your hat on, what is He’ll return to Battelle’s corporate head- community. Bill will leave in his wake a your proudest accomplishment? quarters in Columbus, Ohio, to manage the $300 million modernization campaign that has company’s DOE business. That includes progressed with BM: The excitement that I see the Lab staff responsibility for the four national labs lightning speed, have over a revitalized ORNL. Battelle manages or co-manages—Pacific ORNL’s first “out- Where would you like to have made more Northwest, ORNL, Brookhaven and the standing” rating from progress? National Renewable Energy Laboratory. DOE, a Spallation BM: We never really made the kind of Bill says he’ll leave East Tennessee “with Neutron Source project progress I had hoped on cost reduction. Our great sadness.” that has continued to indirect costs remain a challenge. “I’ve been privileged to have spent my be on time and on entire career working in great laboratories budget and a reorga- In April 2000 you said nice things about the around the world, but none of these experi- nized Lab with a clear area and the people, and you became involved ences compares to my time here with you in agenda. The privately in the community. Did East Tennessee or East Oak Ridge. This Laboratory is truly one of the funded aspect of the Tennesseans surprise you in any way? world’s foremost research institutions. I will Bill Madia nearly complete BM: Southern hospitality is real. How do be forever grateful that you have allowed me facility on the east they do it? to be a part of it,” he told ORNL staff campus will likely become a model of What advice will you give your successor? members in his e-mailed announcement titled modernization throughout the DOE system. BM: Spend more time in the Lab (I was “Farewell.” He’s taken a few pies in the face, but that’s gone too much) and listen to the staff in Bill will continue as Lab director until a usually been for good causes, such as the formulating your plans.—B.C. successor is chosen. In his position with United Way. P-cards are great Appealing items But they must be used and managed properly ome items that can be bought with Spurchase cards are deemed “sensi- urchase cards—company-issued credit purchases priced under an established dollar tive items” if they cost more than Pcards—are a wonderful thing, many limit—usually $2,500. Most staff members use $1,000. Sensitive items must be ORNL staff members would agree. They them properly. To date, only one serious registered with the Lab’s property enable quick and efficient purchases of low- misdeed has occurred—an employee ulti- management system. A look at the cost items needed for work done at the Lab. mately lost a job, was sentenced to five years Lab’s list of sensitive items provides a The P-card program, which is managed within probation and was ordered to repay nearly pretty good idea why they are “sensi- the Contracts Division, has streamlined the $11,000 for items bought (and resold) with a tive”—they are all items of general procurement process and reduced procurement P-card. appeal. Here are some examples: cycle times dramatically. Scott says proper management and account- A P-card is also a tool for trouble if not used ability is the best way to avoid that kind of and managed properly. One national labora- trouble. Cardholders and their approving Binoculars tory has already experienced the ire of its DOE managers receive monthly reports—showing Boat motors customer, management upheaval and unfavor- the vendors and dollars spent on P-card able publicity because of improper use of purchases. Those reports should be the objects Cellular company P-cards. of careful attention, if for no other reason than telephones “P-cards are an employees could be liable for losses. Hand tools and Proper efficient, cost-saving “If managers and supervisors scrupulously power tools management system,” says Audit review and closely watch purchases, and also Cameras and camera and Management document them, we can curtail abuses,” Scott equipment and Advisory Services says. “In the case of the person who was accountability Director Scott prosecuted, the monthly reconciliations were Televisions and other consumer Branham. “But they not being performed by either the employee or electronics is the best must be used the approving manager. The employee was Air compressors way to avoid properly and in caught when someone reported erroneous Laptop computers accordance with charges that were distributed to their project.” trouble. established policies AMAS’s Gail Lewis says it’s important to Video equipment and procedures.” keep good records, which makes things much Pressure washers ORNL’s procure- simpler in case she’s called in to investigate Electric generators ment organization administers the purchase purchases that may not look appropriate. cards and has implemented a controlled self- “Document your purchases so that it’s (home.ornl.gov/general/property/inv3.html) assessment program to help ensure that the obvious what the item was that was actually Lab meets its obligation to spend taxpayer’s purchased,” Gail says. “The records them- funds appropriately and efficiently. Scott’s selves often don’t reveal that, but your minimum. Don’t destroy records prematurely, auditing group is often asked to perform an documentation should.” even if the cardholder leaves the company or independent check on the health of the Gail advises registering “sensitive pur- relinquishes his or her card for some other program. chases” (see sidebar) with the property reason. Three years meets requirements; you At ORNL, more than 500 staff members management organization, as is the require- certainly don’t want to destroy them after only (that number could soon decrease) have P- ment. a year,” Gail says. cards issued to them as a convenient way to “Also, keep your records conscientiously In other words, better safe than sorry. Scott procure routine, small-dollar commodity and for the three-year required period, as a notes some of the purchases that set off alarm bells include alcohol (not necessarily forbid- den if government funds aren’t used), clothing and “split” purchases, which is when a series of purchases is generated to distribute the cost of an item costing more than the cardholder’s individual transaction limit. Buying a $10,000 is published for the employees and microscope with four $2,500 invoices, for retirees of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, instance, isn’t allowed. which is managed and operated for the P-card holders took a refresher-training U.S. Department of Energy by course last year that provided clear guidance UT-Battelle. regarding responsibilities and what is and isn’t allowed with P-cards. In addition, the P-card Bill Cabage, editor Curtis Boles manual has been rewritten and distributed to Phone 865/574-4399 provide additional, more specific guidance. E-mail [email protected] Al Fraker of Facilities and Operation’s Scott credits the required training with Deborah Barnes, associate editor Craft Resources works on the UT- heading off potential abuses.

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