Los Alamos paper breaks story on LANL contract extension
"There
is more to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s 2012
performance evaluation of the Los Alamos National Laboratory than meets
the eye.
According to documents obtained by the Los Alamos
Monitor, the lab received a one-time waiver from the NNSA fee
determining official — principal deputy administrator Neile Miller.
In
a letter from former Los Alamos Site Office head Kevin Smith to Miller,
the award term (one-year contract extension) originally was not
granted. But at the bottom of the letter, the no is scratched out with a
notation, “Yes. Contingent on LANS letter attached.”
That LANS
letter was written by DOE Senior Procurement Executive Joseph Waddell to
lab director Charlie McMillan, dated on Dec. 7. The letter stated that
Los Alamos National Security had been granted a waiver for the FY-12
NNSA fee by the Fee Determining Official (Miller).
According to the letter, LANS met two of the three criteria but earned less than 80 percent overall at-risk fees."
20 comments:
What does this mean? Can someone please explain?
There appeared to be more to the article behind the LA Monitor pay wall. This is all one could rip off for free.
It must be nice to be awarded a billion dollar contract by someone scratching out "no" penciling-in "yes" and then attaching a handwritten note with on the back of a dirty envelop with scotch on it. The note had to been written by Riley Bechtel while he was on his yacht off the coast of Cabo San Lucas smoking Cubanos. Folks, you can't make this stuff up.
This story has all the elements of scandal and coverup. Would not be surprised to see national media pick up on it and run with it to see if there are any previous examples where this kind of recommendation was reversed. There does not appear to be a valid reason for Miller to insert herself into the decision, which adds fuel for an investigation.
McMillan is always "pounding" LANL staff about formality of operations and the like. Meanwhile, every conceivable practice that cannot be accomplished in a nuclear facility like scratching-out changes (probably in pencil) without initialing the change was done here. Where's the Office of the Attorney General or Inspector General when you need them, probably beating up some staff member at TA-55 for missing the urinal.
Charlie McMillan actually sent an memo to everyone at LANL boasting about being granted an extra year. This development certainly puts it in a new light. It's a bit like cheating on a test and then going around boasting about the high score you got.
And wasn't Kevin Smith then reassigned to manage rivers or something? That's surely a good way to deal with a troublemaker whistleblower.
And wasn't Kevin Smith then reassigned to manage rivers or something? That's surely a good way to deal with a troublemaker whistleblower.
January 15, 2013 at 8:41 AM
No, he got a promotion. He's inside one the Hanford tanks with a mop.
Yes, the director's memo was issued on december 21, just before the break.
"As a premier national security laboratory, we are held to very high standards for safety, security and mission performance -- and rightly so.
These expectations are reflected in NNSA's evaluation of our performance for Fiscal Year 2012, which we received last week. While we fell short in some areas, I can report that NNSA gave us a final score of 80% and -- I'm very pleased to say -- did the award us an additional contract year. "
"I'm very pleased to say that we get our contract extended even if we fail to build a fence."
I'm very pleased to say ... that we were able to cover-up Annie "Maestas" Oakley firing randomly on one of our tanks.
If he stretched the truth on the 80% score it makes it hard to believe Charlie on other topics. So much for being a "trusted advisor".
Really makes you wonder why NNSA is so "keyed" to ensure LANS is awarded the contact. Someone, somewhere high is benefiting from this contact.
It sounds like little Charlie (i.e. LANS) was a bad boy this quarter, that he's been hitting other kids on the playground (e.g. Brett Knapp), not doing good in school (e.g. not passing his class on building fences), and needs a handwritten note from his mommy (NNSA) and daddy (Riley Bechtel) saying he'll do better next quarter. So give him a few "extra" points showing he passed the quarter.
Sounds like little Charlie needs a good ole fashioned whipping and needs his nice toys (allowances, Porsches, bonuses, flight benefits) taken away from him instead.
This should not be surprising to anyone. The "do-over" that the Y-12 guards got on their exam originates in the same culture that gave Charlie his "do-over" on the contract extension.
Now that Charlie has cost the corporate partners 10M in his first year, they might be reconsidering how his selection was done by UC.
Now that Charlie has cost the corporate partners 10M in his first year, they might be reconsidering how his selection was done by UC.
January 16, 2013 at 7:22 PM
I wonder what Charlie thinks now when he says "follow the money" when he sees it swirling in the toilet bowl just before he can't see it anymore.
When dollars are lost to the management team, the screws will only be turned tighter on the remaining staff. Count on it.
When dollars are lost to the management team, the screws will only be turned tighter on the remaining staff. Count on it.
January 18, 2013 at 3:38 PM
That's been happening since LANS "took over'. Come out and visit the Facility Operations at TA-55, WETF, and Waste Programs. A bunch of "sweat shops".
That's been happening since LANS "took over'. Come out and visit the Facility Operations at TA-55, WETF, and Waste Programs. A bunch of "sweat shops".
January 18, 2013 at 7:28 PM
The LANS Facilities (e.g. Weapon Facility Operations, TA-55, Waste Facility Operations, etc.) are not sweat shops but "cesspools". The Facility Operations Directors (FODs) for example, Steve Henry, Hugh McGovern are viscous and abusive examples of so called "managers". These are horrible places to work at LANL.
Oh hell, give it to 'em. If the bungling D'Agostino and the deepmeddling Chu can keep their positions, LANL leaders are secure.
There are layers of rivals, infighting, incompetence and dalliance in DOE, another layer is immaterial.
An 80% score in Congress requires an exorcist.
Post a Comment