Y-12 National Security Complex facts for kids
The Y-12 National Security Complex is a special facility located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It is part of the United States Department of Energy and helps with national security. Y-12 was built during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project. Its main job was to enrich uranium, which was needed for the first atomic bombs. Many people call it the "birthplace of the atomic bomb". After the war, Y-12 continued to make parts for nuclear weapons and support defense efforts. Today, a company called Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) manages and operates Y-12.
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History of Y-12
Y-12 was the secret code name for a plant that made enriched uranium during World War II. This was a key part of the Manhattan Project, a huge effort by the United States to build atomic bombs. Construction of Y-12 began in February 1943.
A big challenge was finding enough copper for the large machines used at Y-12. Because copper was hard to get during the war, the government used 14,700 tons of silver from its vaults! This silver was used to make the special coils for the machines. After the war, almost all the silver was returned to the government.
The Y-12 facility started working in November 1943. It used machines called calutrons to separate uranium-235 from natural uranium. This enriched uranium was used in the "Little Boy" atomic bomb. This bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945.
During the Manhattan Project, a company called Tennessee Eastman managed Y-12. They brought scientists and workers to run the plant. Interestingly, young women with only a high school education, known as "Calutron Girls," became very skilled at operating the machines. They often produced more uranium than the highly educated scientists! This showed how well they were trained.
After the war, different companies took over running Y-12. Union Carbide managed it from 1947 to 1984. Then, Martin Marietta (later Lockheed Martin) took over. Since 2000, BWXT Y-12 (now B&W Y-12) has been the operator.
1958 Accident at Y-12
On June 16, 1958, an accident happened at Y-12. A solution of highly enriched uranium was accidentally put into a steel drum. This caused a special nuclear reaction that lasted about 15 to 20 minutes. Eight workers were taken to the hospital because they were exposed to radiation. Luckily, all of them eventually returned to work. These workers later received money from the government for their injuries.
What Y-12 Does Today
Since the end of the Cold War, Y-12 has had several important jobs:
- It helps keep the United States' nuclear weapons safe and ready. This is called "stockpile stewardship."
- It works to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons around the world.
- It supports the program that provides nuclear power for Navy ships.
- It shares its special knowledge with other government groups.
Y-12 is also in charge of making and maintaining all the uranium parts for every nuclear weapon in the U.S. collection.
The facility also stores nuclear materials safely for the United States and other countries. For example, it has helped secure highly enriched uranium from places like Chile.
Cleaning up the environment has been an important task for Y-12. The plant was listed as an EPA Superfund site in the 1990s because of past contamination in the groundwater and soil. Today, efforts are ongoing to clean up the site and remove old buildings.
About 4,700 people work at Y-12 today. Many other people also work on site for different organizations that support the complex.
Protests Against Nuclear Weapons
Since 1988, a group called the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance has organized peaceful protests at the Y-12 Complex. They want to see the weapons plant closed down. People like Sister Mary Dennis Lentsch, a Catholic nun, have been arrested many times for protesting there. She believes that making weapons at Y-12 goes against international agreements.
In 2012, there were protests about a proposed new facility called the Uranium Processing Facility. This new building is expected to cost a lot of money.
In July 2012, an 82-year-old Catholic sister named Megan Rice and two military veterans, Gregory Boertje-Obed and Michael Walli, entered the Y-12 complex. They were part of the Plowshares Movement, which protests nuclear weapons. They chose Y-12 because it is so important in making nuclear weapons. They spray-painted anti-war messages on a building that stores uranium. These activists managed to get past fences and security sensors. They spent several hours inside, praying and singing, before a guard stopped them. This security breach led to many questions about how safe the nuclear materials at Y-12 really were. The government later found that the security at the plant was not good enough. On May 9, 2013, the three activists were found guilty of sabotage. Megan Rice said she wished she had protested 70 years earlier.
See also
In Spanish: Complejo de Seguridad Nacional Y-12 para niños
