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Monday, November 3, 2008

LLNL expansion?

Will congress do it?

Oakland Tribune

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

all the "expansion" if there ever is any will be at site 300

Anonymous said...

It seems to me that NTS out in Nevada would be a much better location for conventional explosive research tests. Of course, we're dealing with a dysfunctional NNSA here, so decision like this one never surprise me any longer.

Anonymous said...

It'll never happen. Because it won't get budgeted or funded.

Any plan written by the Bush admin is destined to be torn up and burned once the new administration and congress are in place. What they come up with instead is almost certain to not be benevolent to LLNL.

Anonymous said...

We will have a democratic president and a democratic congress. I don't think expansion will be on their agenda.

Another thread asked if you were a donor or recipient with regards to raises.

With regards to the budget, DOE / NNSA / The Labs - they will be donors.

Anonymous said...

Expansion? O&B PAD All Hands today talked about consolidating LLNL and SNL, emptying B411 and moving them to "sunshine" bldg. Sounds to me more downsizing to come after March 2009.

Anonymous said...

"What they come up with instead is almost certain to not be benevolent to LLNL."

Kinda just like the Bush administration is what you really mean. One thing is for sure, nobody has ever accused the Bush administration of being benevolent to the Lab.Things can never get worse. They may stay the same or...they just might get better.

Anonymous said...

LLNL will soon be downsized to NIF, and not much more. Consolidation of the weapons complex is going to hit LLNL very hard.

Anonymous said...

Instead of "expansion" there will be the usual transfer of money within the same shrinking pot. It's a zero sum game where the terms in the sum are getting smaller.

Neko said...

November 5, 2008 6:21 AM said "Things can never get worse. They may stay the same or...they just might get better."

You really should avoid work for the next couple of week so that what ever drugs you took can get out of your system. I've seen many business simply close the doors and walk away. Things can indeed get worse and probably will.

Anonymous said...

Word is out, B. Hussein Osama called Marilea Kelley to have her close down the lab.

She replied it wasn't necessary. TriValley Cares took it off the watch list. Since it was dumbed down from a University Research Lab to a cash-starved commercial firm it no longer can produce anything harmful.

Anonymous said...

November 5, 2008 5:31 PM

People like you are part of the problem. The kind of negativity you routinely spew on this blog suggests you are a very unhappy, insecure person. You should seek professional help.

By the way,pleases name one business you know of where they simply "close the doors and walk away". Is that what yo think is going to happen here? If so I pity you. Must be tough just getting out of the bed in the morning.

Neko said...

November 6, 2008 6:55 AM

Well, there is not enough space to name them all. However, one DOE site comes into mind right away. Try googling Mound. I do wish I had your optimism. Unfortunately, I see reality and I'm sorry you feel the way you do toward me and this blog. Do a little research on our parent corporations.

Anonymous said...

mound is a business?

Anonymous said...

November 5, 2008 8:49 PM

Late breaking news. LLNL was never a University research lab.It was once managed by the University of California but was never a research arm of the University. It is and was, however, a nuclear weapons research lab within the NNSA which is a branch of the DOE.

Your oft used phrase "B. Hussein Osama" only serves to underscore your ignorance and your arrogance.

Anonymous said...

November 6, 2008 9:31 PM

You obviously do not know the history of LLNL. It began as branch of the Lawrence Berkeley Lab... long before DOE or NNSA. Funding was from AEC, and its original name was the University of California Radiation Laboratory at Livermore. Employees never worked for the federal government but for UC, and followed UC's policies for managing and operating LLNL in accordance with the provisions of UC's contract with AEC/DOE/NNSA. As such any decision, by definition, made at LLNL was a de facto UC made decision. The new company running LLNL, while UC is part of it, is free of UC's direct control and adherence to UC's policies. It can do whatever it wants to do as long as it keeps NNSA happy.

Finally, notice how LBNL under UC and DOE is expanding, while LLNL under LLNS and NNSA is dying. Even SNL under Lockeed-Martin (a real corporation and not a fake one like LLNS) is doing better than LLNL.

Anonymous said...

Both LLNS LLC and LANS LLC are Frankenstein corporate creations designed to allow Bechtel to hide behind the skirt of UC and yet squeeze as much profit as possible from NNSA research labs. Bechtel has now become the top contractor for most of the NNSA complex.

Construction companies have no business running research labs. The labs were given over to Bechtel using an secretive decision making process led by NNSA chief Tom D'Agostino. Congress needs realize that only a single person within NNSA decided the winners for the lab contracts at both LLNL and LANL. The whole competition process was rotten to the core.

It's time for Congress to start a serious investigation into how NNSA conducts their business. The fact that the head honchos within NNSA are accepting lucrative jobs with their NNSA contractors needs to be brought out into the light of day.

Anonymous said...

It's time for Congress to start a serious investigation into how NNSA conducts their business. The fact that the head honchos within NNSA are accepting lucrative jobs with their NNSA contractors needs to be brought out into the light of day."

7:53, I'm sure it's moving to the top of Congress's "To Do" list.

Anonymous said...

Don't hold your breath. All of Washington including Congress make use of the "revolving door" -- some while still in office. How else do you think that those in power have become or gone on to become multi-millionaires.

Anonymous said...

November 7, 2008 10:56 PM

Right. LLNL never was a research arm of the university as has been ascerted .In fact, there were explicit contractual guidelines which prevented UC from doing that.Similarly, Bechtel and all of the other collaborators can NOT use LLNL as a captive research facility. If they want R and D from LLNL they have to go through the same process as any other outside entity.LLNL was managed by UC, that's all. And thanks for making that point. You need to go back and read the contract. You are misinformed.

Anonymous said...

"Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is a premier applied science laboratory that is part of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) within the Department of Energy (DOE). LLNL was MANAGED from its inception in 1952 through September 2007 by the University of California for the U.S. government. LLNL is currently MANAGED by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC."


Right off the LLNL web site. The lab was MANAGED by UC.UC had no input as to the type of work done. It was NOT a University research facility. Rather, it was (and is) a DOE/NNSA research facility.

Anonymous said...

The Founding Fathers did not envision Congressional seats as permanent occupations but positions of duty where citizens would sacrifice time for a few years from their true employment. Term limits and restrictions on employment after their term seem to be the only practical solution.

Anonymous said...

November 10, 2008 6:37 AM

From the last Contract 48 (W-7405-ENG-48) between the Regents of the University of California and the United States Government (represented by the US Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration) for Management and Operation of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.


C.001 STATEMENT OF WORK

The Contractor [University of California] shall furnish intellectual leadership and the necessary personnel and management expertise required for the management and operation of the Laboratory in the performance of work under this Contract in accordance with its terms and the Statement of Work included as Appendix E to this Contract.


H.003 UNIVERSITY-DIRECTED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

The Contractor [University of California] may conduct University-directed research and development at or for the Laboratory using fees paid to the Contractor under this Contract. As part of this activity, the Parties recognize the importance and mutual benefit to be derived from continued complementary and beneficial programs between the University and the Laboratory. The Parties agree that the source of funding for work described in this clause, shall be limited to the program performance fee paid in accordance with Section H clause entitled Program Performance Fee. Work performed at the Laboratory under this clause shall be performed on a non-interference basis with any DOE directed and funded work of the Laboratory, and shall be within the general scope of work and in accordance with the terms of this Contract. The Contractor will provide information to DOE regarding work to be performed under this clause in accordance with procedures developed and agreed to by the Parties.


H.019 UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND SUPPORTING EFFORTS FOR THE LABORATORY

Although the work of this Contract is to be accomplished primarily through Contractor [University of California] personnel at the Laboratory and through subcontractors, the Contractor may, pursuant to the Section I clause entitled Contractor Purchasing System, paragraph (v), and as provided for in policies and procedures approved by the Contracting Officer, use its expertise and resources at its campuses. A "campus," for the purpose of this clause, includes any Contractor organization except Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.


H.034 PERFORMANCE DIRECTION

(a) The Contractor [University of California] is responsible for the management, integration, and operation of the site in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract, duly issued Work Authorizations (WAs), and written guidance provided by the Contracting Officer and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). NNSA is responsible for establishing the work to be accomplished, the applicable standards and requirements to be met, and overseeing the work of the Contractor. The Contractor will use its expertise and ingenuity in contract performance and in making choices among acceptable alternatives to most effectively and efficiently accomplish the work called for by this contract.

Anonymous said...

. LLNL was never a University research lab....wrong

The origin of the current LLNL is the University of California Radiation Laboratory in 1941 (Funded by AEC contract number 48), located where the current Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory is now. A remote site was established at the remote, closed Naval Air Station in Livermore to begin larger scale experiments in 1951, 6 YEARS AFTER HIROSHIMA. So the Rad lab was indeed a very successful University Research Lab, even before the AEC.

Oppenheimer, Sewell, York, Teller, Hurley, Lawrence, etc. were employees of the University of California during their leadership of the Manhattan project.

LLNS is not a fitting successor.

Anonymous said...

"The origin of the current LLNL is the University of California Radiation Laboratory in 1941 (Funded by AEC contract number 48)"

It would seem that it was an AEC research Lab.You are misinformed.

Anonymous said...

November 11, 2008 8:22 PM

Now it is a the Bechtel Research Lab.What sort of Bechtel research are we doing?

Anonymous said...

"NNSA is responsible for establishing the work to be accomplished, the applicable standards and requirements to be met, and overseeing the work of the Contractor."


Seems pretty clear...

Anonymous said...

What sort of Bechtel research are we doing? 6:41 AM

Research into ways of producing ultra-dense concrete that can be used to completely sink this lab. That's what.

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