Physical and Accounting Controls over Mercury at Y-12

Archive description

This report reviewed the physical and accounting controls over mercury at Y-12 as requested in conjunction with a current audit of controls over removal of materials and property. Details of their findings in various areas and buildings, the Flasking Operation, checks by Security Forces and escort duty, shipping practices, and physical inventories of material in storage were discussed. A summary of their findings were that (1) mercury is located in Buildings 9201-4 and 9201-5, flask storage outside Building 9201-5, sludge pits and tank near Buildings 9201-4 and 9201-5, recovery facility, and loading ramp at Building 9720-5; all locations are within the Western Exclusion Area, except the recovery facility which is within the perimeter fence; (2) accessibility to locations is unlimited to anyone cleared to enter the Western Exclusion Area; (3) the flask storage is accessible by sedans, high-lifts or pick-up trucks; (4) received two different explanations of the method used to determine the number of flasks filled on each shift - count of empty pallets and count of filled flasks; (5) periodic gate checks of brief cases, lunchboxes and packages are routinely confined to the day shift only; outgoing vehicles are not examined unless the guard is suspicious; (6) shipment data is available to many people within and outside Carbide; (7) Stores Department didn't identify the pallet or flask numbers on shipments to customers which prevents accountability and tracing, and defeats the purpose of these numerical controls; and (8) were informed that inventories of flasked mercury in storage are taken every Friday on the evening shift and counts are normally made without removing the tarpaulins which cover some of the material.