Anonymously contributed:
Friday, August 13, 2010
By John Fleck
Journal Staff Writer
Los Alamos National Laboratory, with the approval of its federal managers, has repeatedly sidestepped federal nuclear safety rules at its plutonium laboratories, according to an internal Energy Department investigation.
The rules require detailed analysis of nuclear safety risks, so accidents can be avoided by fixing problems. But because of delays in conducting the studies and completing the required repairs, the lab has repeatedly been granted permission for temporary fixes so operations can continue, according to a report from the Department of Energy's Office of Inspector General.
Such permissions are allowed, but "are intended to be temporary measures" until problems can be fixed permanently, according to a report from the Inspector General, made public Thursday.
No nuclear accidents have resulted from this and other related problems identified by the Inspector General's report.
Los Alamos referred comment on the report to the National Nuclear Security Administration, the federal agency that oversees its work. NNSA spokespeople did not return calls for comment.
Read more: ABQJOURNAL NORTH: LANL Sidesteps Safety Rules http://www.abqjournal.com/north/132318126681north08-13-10.htm#ixzz0wWb1ye82
Friday, August 13, 2010
By John Fleck
Journal Staff Writer
Los Alamos National Laboratory, with the approval of its federal managers, has repeatedly sidestepped federal nuclear safety rules at its plutonium laboratories, according to an internal Energy Department investigation.
The rules require detailed analysis of nuclear safety risks, so accidents can be avoided by fixing problems. But because of delays in conducting the studies and completing the required repairs, the lab has repeatedly been granted permission for temporary fixes so operations can continue, according to a report from the Department of Energy's Office of Inspector General.
Such permissions are allowed, but "are intended to be temporary measures" until problems can be fixed permanently, according to a report from the Inspector General, made public Thursday.
No nuclear accidents have resulted from this and other related problems identified by the Inspector General's report.
Los Alamos referred comment on the report to the National Nuclear Security Administration, the federal agency that oversees its work. NNSA spokespeople did not return calls for comment.
Read more: ABQJOURNAL NORTH: LANL Sidesteps Safety Rules http://www.abqjournal.com/north/132318126681north08-13-10.htm#ixzz0wWb1ye82
Comments
Another way of saying we are aware we are violating the law and have been lucky no worker/public has lost a limb or life, so life is good.
(Mikey)
The overwhelming majority of DOE safety (and security) issues is nothing but compliance BS that DOE's worthless bureaucrats push to perpetuate their existence.
Ever since Adm Watson's Tiger Teams of the late 1980s, DOE has wasted hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars addressing problems that exist only on paper.
The fact that the Lab contractors are now for profit guarantees that this process will continue. In public LANS and LLNS will acknowledge they need to do better and accept the fines they receive. These fines are, however, simply a business expense they occasionally have to pay as a "kickback" to the millions of dollars of award fee they receive.