Oct. 17, 2001

Wood distribution program

Q: What happened to the Laboratory's program to distribute excess fire wood from clearing processes at S-site to Q-cleared employees? Are "they" burning this wood in the new reduced smoke pit?

I understand that the wood is still being stacked and then carted off by anyone with access to the area, leaving the rest of the Laboratory and Johnson Controls Northern New Mexico employees out in the cold...no pun intended.


A: JCNNM has received more than 1,200 requests for firewood from both Lab and subcontract personnel and the general public. All of the requests have been posted to a data base in the order in which the request was received. When firewood is released to us by FWOs firewood cutting operation and the applicable Facility Management representative, we contact requesters based on the site specific requirements and contact information posted on our data base.

To date we have coordinated four different releases which resulted in approximately 200 truck loads removed from S-Site. We had originally planned to release firewood at a faster rate. However due to a few factors including manpower support levels which were impacted by year-end "silly season" requirements and then the upgrade in security due to the terrible Sept. 11 incident, we have only been able to release every couple of weeks. We are reviewing alternative release programs that we think will expedite the process. It should be noted that FWO anticipates that this firewood release program will be on-going for at least the next two years.

Also, the wood being "burned" is small limbs and brush, not firewood grade material.

--Mike Shepherd


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