Pantex officials broke ground this week on a modern $28 million Environmental Sampling Facility, the latest in a series of infrastructure upgrades aimed at streamlining safety operations and supporting the plant’s evolving role in national defense.

The 11,000-square-foot facility will house two new laboratories, expanded sample and equipment storage, office space and parking. It will consolidate existing Environmental Projects sampling operations and the Industrial Hygiene Field Sampling Lab, relocating them closer to the core areas of the plant they support.

“This facility will be extremely beneficial to the people in Environmental and Industrial Hygiene,” said Harry Gulley, director of the Environment, Safety and Health Division. “Both groups will be housed in a centralized location on plant site, which will improve efficiency by having equipment and teams in one place. This groundbreaking is exciting for ES&H as we continue safely serving Pantex’s mission.”

The new Industrial Hygiene lab will process samples from across the plant to monitor safety conditions and enforce personal protective equipment requirements. The Sampling and Analysis Lab will support both on-site and off-site environmental efforts — including Environmental Projects, Compliance and Waste Operations — ensuring the plant meets federal regulations and U.S. Department of Energy standards.

“It takes a lot of people doing many different things to make sure every unit meets a very high set of standards,” said Kelly Beierschmitt, president and general manager of PanTeXas Deterrence, which manages and operates the Pantex Plant. “Investing in our facilities is also investing in our people. We take great pride in our people. We expect them to safely perform at the highest level to deliver the mission with excellence.”

Jason Armstrong, Pantex Field Office manager, said the facility reflects a broader commitment to long-term stewardship.

“This facility will provide us with the tools and resources we need to strengthen our environmental stewardship, protect our workforce, and support our national security mission,” Armstrong said. “We are confident that this facility will have a positive and lasting impact on Pantex, our community, and the environment.”

Designed as a modern structure that integrates seamlessly with existing Pantex infrastructure, the facility reinforces the site’s evolving landscape in support of safety, science and national security.

The Environmental Sampling Facility is one of several major infrastructure projects underway or in the planning stages at Pantex. Others include the High Explosives Science and Engineering Facility, the High Explosives Synthesis, Formulation, and Production Facility, and the recently funded Gas Lab.