LLNL - The True Story -

Anonymous said... The Lab's security force seems to get bad press all the time in the media, but it did well again in this year's US National SWAT Championship. They came in 2nd last year. Results are at - http://www.nationalswatchampionships.com/results.php I ran across this story in World Nuclear News... Bruce Power SWAT team hits the mark 25 June 2009 Security combat teams from nuclear-related sites and organizations performed well in the 2009 US National SWAT Championships (USNSC). The championship was held on 18-20 June at the US Shooting Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Eighteen tactical teams including three international entrants participated in a range of trials such as 'Bus Assault', 'Multi-Gun Shootout' and 'Taser Team Takedown'. The nuclear response team from Canada's Bruce Power won the contest for the second year in a row. They were followed by a team from the German counter-terrorist unit (GSG-9), with nuclear-related teams from Lawrence Li...

Anonymous said... Neko's Not Scared What may happen to the guy running this blog if he isn't careful June 24, 2009 5:07 PM

Title: NUCLEAR BUDGET WATCHDOGS CALL ON U.S. ENERGY DEPARTMENT TO SLASH SPENDING ON WEAPONS PROGRAMS AND REACTOR SUBSIDIES, INCREASE CLEANUP FUNDING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY Ran across this pdf about wanting to cut budgets and increase cleanup funds. Watchdogs Interesting reading. June 22, 2009 10:24 AM

Blogger Peter said... The House Armed Services Committee published the FY 2010 Defense Authorization Bill last week. Buried inside was a last-minute change that took $369 million from DOE. The $369M was supposed to be used for cleanups at nuclear weapons sites but will be used instead to "bring home the bacon" and buy jets that the military admits it doesn't even need. See the articles below for the details. http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4144686 http://pubfiles.computersforpeace.net/HR2647.pdf http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/press/armedsvc_dem/skeltonpr061709.shtml June 23, 2009 11:38 AM

Anonymous said... I went to check on what is left of my retirement portfolio on uc bencom and saw this: "Questions & Answers about Furlough/Salary Reductions Options" Apparently, everyone in UC is going to take a 8% salary reduction! LBNL staff will be affected as well. June 23, 2009 2:11 AM

Anonymous said: UC Gives 'Thumbs Down' to Lab Health Care Petitioners From Independent News The University of California has effectively said “no” to petitions signed by more than 500 Livermore Lab retirees requesting reinstatement to the UC medical programs that covered them when they retired. “I understand your concerns with losing UC coverage when the Laboratory contract was changed at the end of 2007, wrote Katherine Lapp, executive vice president for business operations at the University, in a message to a number of the petitioners. “However, UC employees do not have a vested right to retiree healthcare benefits.” She noted that benefits had always been subject to change or termination at any time. The Laboratory retirees who submitted the petitions were once UC employees who had the University’s group health coverage plans under a succession of contracts that lasted more than 50 years. Beginning in 2008, the new contractor, Lawrence Livermore National Security, used a hea...

Anonymous said: Looks like Congress my investigate NNSA's contract with LLNS if the House appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2010 on military activities of the Department of Defense [HR 2647] pass in its current form. Note this section on page 639 of the 650 page Bill... ----- SEC. 3121. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REVIEW OF MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS CONTRACT COSTS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY LABORATORIES. (a) REVIEW REQUIRED. — The Comptroller General shall review the effects of the contracts entered into by the Department of Energy in 2006 and 2007 that provide for the management and operations of the covered national laboratories. The review shall include the following: (1) A detailed description of the costs related to the transition from the period when the management and operations of the covered national laboratories were performed by the University of California to the period when such management and operations were performed by a covered contractor, including — (A) a description of any...

Open Letter to Editors: The Public Dedication of NIF and other Illusions Recently the Director at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory announced the National Ignition Facility reached another project milestone 1 June 2009 when the facility was christened as "Certified". Various local newspapers reported the event with broad illuminations like these: NIF Facility Dedication The Certified NIF NIF Opening Ceremony NIF Official Opening NIF was Unveiled NIF Laser Commissioned Beam Lines “Tests are about to start” “Like the dedication of a Cathedral” “The worlds most powerful laser is almost ready for use” The Director of LLNL further claims the NIF is designed to achieve nuclear fusion ignition. To substantiate that claim the project leadership is obligated to produce documentation to actualize that claim. They are obligated to produce requirements and specifications as a guide to assure the project meets stated objectives ...

Anonymously contributed: OT but a very interesting unclassified briefing by Anthony Cordesman entitled - "Study on a Possible Israeli Strike on Iran’s Nuclear Development Facilities." http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/090316_israelistrikeiran.pdf Cordesman has served as national security assistant to Senator John McCain of the Senate Armed Services Committee and civilian assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. He was also the former director of intelligence assessment in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Anonymous said... Please list this as a new topic, I would really like this to be published to show what SPSE is or isn't doing about this subject. It only affects the 9 skilled craftsmen in plant who were axed, but the unions stand in this matter shows the true support they have for the members. June 12, 2009 7:15 AM

Anonymous said... For those left at the lab, please describe the people that they are hiring these days. Are they young? Overqualified? June 11, 2009 6:36 PM

Anonymously contributed: Rather than blame and point fingers, let's focus on who can help- the only possibility in your list is DOE. We need to get out of NNSA and LLNS- the missions they span are certainly not our future- and move on to DOE Office of Science and broaden our programs. "By decree of DOE, LLNL is no longer an NNSA laboratory" and "DOE has decided to re-bid the contract to manage LLNL" and "LLNS has decide to end its term as laboratory manager"

Anonymous said: Does anyone know what is happenning to it?

Anonymous said: Are LLNL employees proud of what they are doing again? -- nope , it's just another job that allows us to make a house payment. I see nothing going on at llnl that's going to help the gross national product.

Anynymous said: Let's talk about Family Days. Seemed very successful to me. +15K in attendance - don't have the history, but I have heard it was a record. Are LLNL employees proud of what they are doing again? Looked like everyone pulled out all the stops for this one - well with the exception of O&B. There seemed to be lots of O&B folks doing all the hard work, but there wasn't much in the way of demo's - even the heart of O&B (B511) was closed!! The rest of the Lab deserves a big round of applause!!!

Anonymous siad . . . I know you are going to say this is not LLNL related but in reality it is since this movement needs to be stopped immediately and we have 8000+ people who need to write the Governator and say, "Hell no, we won't pay a dime more of taxes for any reason". If they get away with this you may as well sell your homes and rent for life or leave California. I'm tired of being used as the Bank of America and being taxed into poverty. E-mail the governor http://gov.ca.gov/interact http://www.modbee.com/opinion/v-print/story/729677.html Posted on Thu, Jun. 04, 2009

From the LANL Blog June 2, 2009 M&O Contractor Salary Increase Budget, Submission and Implementation Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Washington, DC 20585 FROM: GERALD L. TALBOT, JR. ASSOCIATE DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR FOR NUCLEAR SAFETY AND OPERATIONS TO: SITE OFFICE MANAGERS SUBJECT: M&O Contractor Salary Increase Budget, Submission and Implementation The purpose of this document is to change the cycle for contractor Compensation Increase Plan (CIP) submissions to October 1 and to delay resultant pay raises to allow consideration of the most recent annual Program Evaluation Plans (PEP) in pay programs. The change to the CIP submission date from July 1st to October 1st is for two reasons: First, NNSA has approved employee performance incentive pay (bonus) plans at KCP and Y-12 and is expecting proposals shortly from LLNS and LANS. Also, SNL has a variable pay component tied to performance. These plans should provide pay to employees based on the contrac...

Anonymous said... Will Z improve with the new program leader? June 1, 2009 10:51 PM

Anonymous said.. What's up with ranking this year?