LLNL - The True Story -

Anonymously contributed: Just received a notice from UC that they will be requiring contributions to the retirement system in the range of 18 to 20 percent with UC picking up the lions share of that contribution. Since TCP1 was structured to mirror what UC does with respect to contributions one would assume contribution will be required from TCP1 participants shortly That's the way the cookie crumbles.

Anonymous asked: So, who dropped the explosives at Site 300?

Anonymously contributed: Found this story flying under the radar... Ex-Janitor Pleads Guilty in Theft of Nuclear Parts and earlier story with more detail. Worker Charged With Stealing Nuclear Information Of course the employee worked for Bechtel.

The Society of Professionals, Scientists, and Engineers (union) at LLNL has a short six question on-line poll for LLNL and LANL employees on the future of management models at these labs. They plan to share these results with LLNS & LANS, with NNSA, DOE, and Congress. SPSE Survey Main website: SPSE

In an effort to integrate communications, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has created a new office of Government and External Relations, overseeing the Lab’s offices of Congressional Affairs, Public Affairs Office and Protocol. Bill Bruner, formerly of NASA, has been selected as Director of Government and External Relations, James A. Bono, formerly of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, has been named Director of the Public Affairs Office and Scott Kopple, formerly of the National Nuclear Security Administration, joins the Laboratory as congressional liaison. “The integration of these functions will strengthen communications between the Laboratory, our community, the media and all levels of government,” said Lab Director George Miller. “The diverse expertise that Bill, Jim and Scott bring to their positions will meet the needs of the Laboratory, and I am pleased to have them join our team.” As Government and External Relations Director, Bruner will be responsible for strengthening La...

(CNN) -- Los Alamos National Laboratory announced Wednesday it is notifying nearly 2,000 current and former employees and visitors that they may have been exposed to beryllium in the lab and may be at risk of disease. "Letters went out to all of them today," said Kevin Roark, a spokesman for the New Mexico laboratory. Concern over possible exposure to the hard, gray metal, which is purified for use in nuclear weapons and reactors and also used in bicycle frames and golf clubs, was first raised last November, when a box containing beryllium was received at the laboratory's short-term storage facility, he said. "The package appeared to have damage or degradation of the packing materials, which prompted us to test the area for additional contamination," he said. Surface contamination was found, but it turned out that the box was not the source, Roark said, adding that the source has not been determined. Since the contaminated area had not been tested for the presen...

Former LLNL Deputy Director Jeff Wadsworth appears to be flying high. Looks like getting passed over for the LLNL Director job has worked out quite well for him - I bet both career and financially compensation wise. Battelle's world: Columbus-based research giant extends its global reach Sunday, January 25, 2009 3:54 AM By Kevin Mayhood THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH We drive by its headquarters near Ohio State University, attend events in the hall named for it in the Columbus Convention Center and go to the park that bears its name, but few of us know what Battelle really does. The research institute's stock in trade has always been smarts. The company that opened in Columbus in 1929 as Battelle Memorial Institute brought the world Xerox copiers, compact discs and the coating for M&M's. But it's what we don't hear about -- the hundreds of contracts for national security, energy and health research -- that drives its revenue to new heights. Battelle grew its annual reve...

Ten Year Plan

Anonymously contributed: From the LANL BLOG: www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/ gsn/nw_20090123_5700.php +_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+ U.S. Releases Nuclear Complex Modernization Details - Global Security Newswire Friday, Jan. 23, 2009 The United States has released new details on decade-long plans to alter the budgets, goals, facilities and staffs of key facilities in an effort to modernize and streamline the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, Nuclear Watch New Mexico announced yesterday (see GSN, Nov. 1, 2007). The watchdog group said it successfully pursued a Freedom of Information Act request that led the National Nuclear Security Administration to post the information online. The Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico is set to expand its mission far beyond work involving the nuclear weapons stockpile, increasing research aimed at addressing threat reduction, homeland security, defense and environmental issues, according to the 10-year site plans released by the semiautonomous branc...

I've been hearing of impending layoffs in April. Has anyone else heard anything?

I know for a fact that at least some of our ULM reads this blog. So, let's see if we can provide them some feedback on how they can improve.

Ok, so you are the king of the lab for a day. Being realistic, you know, really having to operate within a budget, and having to get a job do. What would you do?

George Bush, the stalwart of nuclear non-proliferation, whiffs. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/10/AR2009011002257.html

Anonymously contributed: Just got home from the drugstore. Coverage for my medications under the new Anthem-Blue Cross EPO plan that I was basically FORCED into by LLNS when they canceled Health Net is way, way down. I have to pay $35 for each medication, when under Health Net, I had to pay $10 or at the most $20. (Plus, they wouldn't even cover two of my medications without special justification from my doctor.....they wanted me to pay $389 for one of them and $125 for the other.) This is despite the fact that my own contribution to the Anthem-Blue Cross EPO Health Plan (given my years of service to UC) WENT UP FROM $240/month for better coverage under Health Net TO MORE THAN $380/month (almost a 60% increase). And office co-pays went from $15 to $20. Less and less coverage for more and more money. Thanks DOE. Thanks UC. Thanks LLNS. Thanks George Miller. Don't want to hear how LLNS is doing us such a great favor because "medical benefits are not guaranteed." The FAC...

Life could be worse. Many of our friends and family are out of work. Some have had to take a second job to make ends meet. Do yourself a favor and look at the job market now and what other employers are paying. Even though we have less than we did, we still have more than most people do. So the topic of the post is what do you like about working at LLNL. Among other things I enjoy the freedom to do my job with minimal supervision. My management knows that I know how to do my job and lets me do it. I've had jobs where I've had to give daily and weekly status reports. No fun.

U.S. EPA says cleanup must resume at nuclear weapons research site / Northern California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory must immediately address Superfund site contamination Release date: 01/07/2009 Contact Information: Wendy Chavez, 415-947-4248, chavez.wendy@epa.gov (San Francisco, Calif. -- 01/07/08) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has notified the Department of Energy that they must immediately resume cleanup activities at its Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif., or face escalating penalties. A federal facilities agreement was signed between EPA, DOE and California state agencies in June 1988. The agreement outlines DOE's responsibilities and milestones for addressing site contamination. DOE has failed to operate numerous groundwater and soil vapor treatment facilities and associated wells -- an integral part of cleanup activities at the site. While pump-and-treat systems have been shutdown, site contamination has sprea...

Demo or Repo or Indi, really does not matter. We all need to work at changing the way LLNL (LLNS) does business so we can keep our jobs. I'm not going to take sides, but I would like us to provide some realistic input so that hopefully our management will listen as I'm pretty sure they at least have their admins read this Blog for them if they don't read it themselves.

Link to one of many on this topic. . . 401K Cuts

Anonymous said: I want you guys to be the first of all my e-mail buddies that I wish to senHappy New Year greetings... As I reflect on 2008, I can say we had a great year: Blacks are happy; Obama was elected. Whites are happy, OJ is in jail. Democrats are happy; George Bush is leaving office. Republicans are happy: Democrats will finally quit saying George Bush stole the election. And all of us are happy; The election is finally over! I think 2009 will be even better: Immediately after his inauguration, Obama will balance the budget, revive the economy, solve the real estate problem, solve the auto industry problem, solve our gas/alternative energy problem, stop the fires and mudslides in California, ban hurricanes and tornadoes, stop identity theft, reverse global warming, find Osama, solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, get rid of corruption in government and achieve world peace . Then on the 7th day, He will rest. My best wishes for 2009! "The government cannot give to anyon...

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