AUGUST 27, 1999 . . . 16:16 EDT

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DOE's nuclear Y2K tests shaky

BY DANIEL VERTON (dan_verton@fcw.com)

The nation's stockpile of nuclear weapons will not be affected by the Year 2000 bug because the warheads do not rely on any date-dependent systems or processes to operate properly, according to a recently released General Accounting Office report.

However, the report, titled "Nuclear Weapons: Year 2000 Status of the Nation's Nuclear Weapons Stockpile," did uncover evidence that DOE officials failed to document the testing procedures used to verify the status of the warheads. When they did document the testing procedures, the officials failed to have the results and procedures verified by supervisors and other DOE personnel -- an accepted scientific process known as "peer evaluation."

For example, the design engineer responsible for the systems in the W88 warhead "did not review the software code for the microprocessor in the W88 to determine Y2K compliance, but rather he relied on his memory of what the code contained," the report stated. On another occasion, an engineer spent two weeks testing and verifying the warhead for Year 2000 problems but did not produce any documentation outlining his discussions or the documents, diagrams and software he examined.

"When peer review did occur, it was largely of the nature of one engineer talking to another and asking, 'Am I missing anything?' and was not documented," the report stated.

In addition, offices within Sandia National Laboratories, such as the Surety Assessment Center, which provides independent verification of nuclear weapons safety, "did not perform any independent evaluation of the design engineer's Y2K assessments," according to the report.

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-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), August 30, 1999

Answers

Nuclear warhead..... "he relied on his memory of what the code contained"....... uh, sure... okay by me. No problem here. Move along, move along.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), August 30, 1999.

I wonder if some of our more outspoken, almost militant, optimist friends will post on this thread? I notice a couple of them posted quickly on the GPS thread just below this one but they had nothing to add to this one.

<'>"peer evaluation." It happened in the world where the Y2k problem was created. It's happening now. The world hasn't changed too much in the last 3 or 4 years and there was never a realistic chance that the entire problem could have been fixed in time.

When are our "leaders" going to take measures to minimize the effects?

Mike

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-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), August 30, 1999.

Mike: "When are our "leaders" going to take measures to minimize the effects?"

Haven't you been paying attention? They HAVE been taking measures to minimize effects. Oh yeah.. and regarding nuclear stuff.. the NRC now suggests stockpiling (their word) KI. Seems like good advice.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), August 30, 1999.

That didn't come out as planned. Trying again.. their efforts to minimize effects have mostly been in the "making flippy motions with a hanky" catagory: "Kosky's job was as Cory so eloquently put it: "make a flippy motion with a hanky" and make Y2K disappear from Clinton's desk, plate and "to do" list. DOE made a flippy motion with a hanky and made electric reliability disappear from under its hat. Social Security made a flippy motion with a hanky and made caring for the elderly and disabled the responsibility of States and Local governments. CIAO made a flippy motion with a hanky and made the threat to our infrastructures NOT the technology problem, but people buying cans of beans at Costco." In addition, Gore has been hiding under a rock to minimize effects on him.

Were you perhaps expecting they would take steps to minimize the effects on YOU? Silly boy.

Oh yeah.. and regarding nuclear stuff.. the NRC now suggests stockpiling (their word) KI. Seems like good advice.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), August 30, 1999.