March 13, 2001

Utilization of the Big Explosives Experimental Facility

The National Nuclear Security Administration is responsible for managing the high-explosive firing facilities used by the Stockpile Stewardship Program. In 1995, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory justified the need for a firing facility at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The Big Explosives Experimental Facility (BEEF), under the direction of the Nevada Operations Office (Nevada), was designed and operated to perform large-load, high-explosive experiments that could not be done at other Department of Energy (DOE) firing facilities. The objective of this audit was to determine if the BEEF needed to operate on a full-time basis.