Major construction concludes on West End Protected Area Reduction Project at Y-12  

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. –  The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently completed a major project that modernized security at the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) while reducing the area within the site’s high-security zone. The effort, known as the West End Protected Area Reduction (WEPAR) Project, formally achieved full beneficial occupancy Feb. 24, a milestone that marks the end of major construction and sets the stage for future cleanup work and new land use in support of Y12’s nuclear security missions. 

WEPAR represents a $260 million investment in reducing and modernizing the perimeter of Y-12’s highest security zone, demonstrating NNSA’s continued commitment to safeguarding strategic nuclear materials, standardizing technology across its sites, and achieving cost efficiencies in operations and recapitalization. 

“WEPAR is just one example of NNSA’s commitment to modernizing the backbone of our national security,” said NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams. “We’ll continue to aggressively update and revitalize our infrastructure to ensure the strategic readiness of our nuclear deterrent.”

“Completion of construction on this project provides the men and women working on critical national security missions at Y-12 with better access to our high-security facilities,” said Mary Helen Hitson, manager of NNSA’s Y-12 Field Office. “The reduction of the highsecurity area will also facilitate access for future demolition projects, resulting in significant cost savings due to our workers not requiring clearances to perform their critical work.”  

Approximately $300-500 million is estimated to be saved for NNSA and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management with the completion of the project. 

WEPAR reduces operational costs and opens up almost 70 acres for demolition of aging facilities at Y-12 while providing improvements that will directly improve employee safety, security, and morale. As a result of the project, the Department of Energy will be able to more efficiently remove older facilities that are no longer inside the site’s protected area, paving the way for site modernization. 

“With the conclusion of this project, the protected area of the site has been reduced by nearly 50%. The smaller footprint makes it easier to implement and manage more focused, effective, and efficient security measures to ensure protection of our national security assets,” said Rich Tighe, president and chief executive officer of Y-12’s management and operating contractor, Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS). 

The NNSA Y-12 Project Management Office and CNS broke ground on the project in April 2021. Project milestones included activating a new Entry Control Facility, installing six new sectors and revitalizing three sectors of the Perimeter Intrusion Detection and Assessment System, and updating security and operational infrastructure for multiple mission support facilities.