LLNL - The True Story -

It started December 10th 2007 and has been going since. It was inspired by the defunct "LANL the real story" blog. Best wishes to all the visitors (including those from DOE). It is you who kept it alive! After 4 full years, we all learned that privatization of the National Labs has been a fiasco and hope congress fixes the problem as eagerly as they voted for privatization. May 2012 be a prosperous and healthy year for all of us! Scooby

Anonymously contributed: Has anyone heard the numbers of employees who retired by the end of December at Sandia? As their retirement program was changing effective Jan 1 2012, I heard they expected about 1,000 employees to retire in 2011 before the new formula took effect. I'm wondering if any of the Sandia employees will be applying at LLNL.

In the past year, there has been so much commentary on Knapp and McMillan. Nothing but negative, sometimes hateful comments. I feel the Blog has been taken over by LANL Knapp and McMillan haters. This is repelling LLNL readers and probably a good percentage of LANLs readers as well. To those who rejoice in hating those 2 dudes, I have a message: I don't know Knapp and McMillan,I don't know you and I dont know how bad the situation is but it seems to me that using the BLOG in such an nonconstructive manner is a poor use of the BLOG. I am posting a poll asking whether this is true. If the poll says so, I will no longer post anything having to do with Knapp and McMillan and will delete anything mentioning them. Scooby

Anonymously contributed: I am sorry for the delay, contributor; your suggestion somehow went to the BLOG's SPAM box and I noticed just today. Lab earns excellent marks for FY11 performance LLNL Newsline 12/16/2011 On Dec. 6, the Livermore Site Office (LSO) released its Performance Evaluation Report with its assessment of our Laboratory's performance for fiscal year 2011. I am pleased to report that the Laboratory earned ratings of "outstanding" in Mission and "very good" in both Operations and Institutional Management. In addition, for the third consecutive year, the Laboratory earned the award term incentive for contract extension. The "excellent" rating for Mission reflected LLNL's numerous achievements in applying science and technology to meet critical national security needs. LSO noted that the Laboratory "met or exceeded nearly all of the performance targets, evaluation criteria, and milestones" associated with prog...

DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — For more than a decade they toiled in the strange, boxy-looking building on the hill above the municipal airport, the building with no windows (except in the cafeteria), the building filled with secrets... Read more

With the holiday season upon us, I hope you will be able to spend time with the people that make your life happier and more meaningful. Whether it's an office get-together or family gathering, this is a special time for being with loved ones, family and friends. This is also a time of year that inspires us to look back on what we have accomplished together. Each day I'm impressed and humbled by the work you do for our country. The dedication you show to implementing the President's nuclear security agenda and keeping the American people safe is unmatched, and you have my deepest gratitude for the professionalism and thoughtfulness with which you do it. This year brought some of the most complex issues we have ever faced. From our response in Japan to the dismantlement of the last B53, you rose to the challenges that came our way and proved once again that NNSA has one of the most talented and diligent workforces in the Federal government. I know that 2012 will bring mor...

Anonymously contributed: Charlie "MIT" McMillan Holiday Message Not to be outdone by "Livermore" the following is our Holiday message from our "fearless" leader none other than Charlie "MIT" McMillan, a REAL leader (which he constantly reminds us), MIT PhD physics graduate (which he constantly reminds us), former LLNL employee and manager (which he constantly reminds us), weapon designer extraordinaire (which he constantly reminds us), the man responsible for bringing us Bret Knapp, our next LANS Director (which he ALWAYS reminds us) and our Savior from the recent Los Conchas Fire (which he constantly reminds us). He's the MAN! The first thing I’d like to say in this holiday message is "Thank you." What we have accomplished this year as a Laboratory—thanks to your creativity, innovation, and unwavering dedication to delivering on our commitments—is nothing short of amazing. We will gather with our families this holiday se...

Anonymously contributed: From Frank Munger's Column at the Knoxville News-Sentinel on Y-12: Y-12 squeezes benefits to save money B&W Y-12 so far as been able to avoid layoffs at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant or having to reduce payrolls through voluntary plans, but the federal contractor has taken a number of measures to trim costs and, like its counterpart (UT-Battelle) did recently at ORNL, B&W has changed some employee benefits to ease budget pressures. Y-12 employees were notified of the changes last week. In a statement, Y-12 General Manager Darrel Kohlhorst said, "In these uncertain budget times, we're continuously examining how we manage our business. We will continue to offer excellent benefits to employees, but managing benefits and absences differently will allow us to save money and save jobs." According to B&W Y-12 spokesman David Keim, salaried employees hired after the first of the year will now be eligible for "an enhanced ...

Anonymously contributed: Budget Deal Whacks LANL Nuke Lab Updated: Friday, 16 Dec 2011, 3:43 PM MST Published : Friday, 16 Dec 2011, 3:43 PM MST ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - The compromise budget bill approved by the U.S. House Friday slashes funding for and prohibits any site preparation work on a controversial new $6 billion nuclear facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The spending bill appropriates $200 million for the project this fiscal year, $100 million less than the administration had requested. It also notes that "no construction activities are funded for the project this year," and calls for a new report on the country's capability for manufacturing so-called pits, or the cores that power nuclear weapons. Watchdogs hailed the budget action as a sign Congress was backing it's calls for the National Nuclear Security Administration to slow down on plans to build the facility.

Anonymously contributed: Weapons Complex Monitor December 13, 2011 Final Version of Defense Auth. Bill Emerges From Conference The funding picture for the National Nuclear Security Administration became a lot clearer yesterday as House and Senate lawmakers unveiled the conference version of the Fiscal Year 2012 Defense Authorization Act, which authorizes $7.27 billion for the agency’s weapons program and allows the Department of Defense to transfer an additional $125 million. The bill also authorizes $2.33 billion for the NNSA’s nonproliferation account, $216.8 million less than the Obama administration’s $2.55 billion budget request. In setting the $7.27 billion funding level for the NNSA’s weapons program—$355 million less than the $7.6 billion that the House and Senate Armed Services Committee provided for the program, matching President Obama’s $7.6 billion request—lawmakers said they reflected the funding levels in the conference agreement on the FY2012 Energy and Water App...

Holiday wishes "Even as we prepare for the holidays, the New Year is just around the corner and directs our thoughts to the future. Daunting challenges are facing the nation, and our Laboratory's ability to anticipate, innovate, and deliver is more important than ever. LLNL's work really does make a difference to the nation's security and the well-being of its citizens. Our efforts are critical to maintaining the U.S. nuclear deterrent and reducing the threats of proliferation and terrorism. Experiments at NIF are blazing new territory in fundamental physics and leading the way toward a clean, carbon-free, virtually unlimited energy resource. Advances in high-performance computing are making it possible to tackle the "too hard" problems, like designing a smart energy grid or deciphering the myriad factors that affect global climate. Our unique capabilities are called upon not only to respond to urgent crises, such as the Fukushima reactor disaster, bu...

Anonymously contributed: Here's a man that's delusional self center to the max and obviously living in the world of OZ George Miller It has been a great privilege to have been a part of this extraordinary institution for nearly 40 years and to have had the opportunity to witness and be associated with the tremendous scientific and technical accomplishments that have helped to secure the future of our nation. These accomplishments are the direct result of your passion and creativity, your dedication and perseverance, your commitment to excellence and integrity, and your unwavering service to our nation. This Laboratory has always embraced big ideas and big challenges, and I believe that, right now, the country needs big ideas. The challenges facing our nation are significant, and I am convinced that the talents you bring to solving these challenges will result in the same kind of remarkable success that has marked the history of this Laboratory. I believe this is so beca...

anonymously contributed: Weapons Complex Monitor December 8, 2011 DOE Looks To Reduce Workforce By 1/3 Through Attrition, Buyouts The Department of Energy is looking to reduce its number of full time federal employees by up to a third from the current level of around 15,000, DOE Chief Human Capital Officer Mike Kane said at the Energy Facility Contractors Group semi-annual meeting yesterday. He said that the Department will have to tighten its belt as it anticipates major budget cuts. “Are you at a point where you can tell me that federal [Full Time Employees] are going to be preserved? The answer to that is no. There are going to be changes in employment in a number of programs,” Kane said, adding that at this point he does not anticipate involuntary layoffs, and that the reduction is instead taking place through buyouts, attrition and early retirement. Kane expects the Department to go down to about 12,000 employees by the end of the Fiscal Year, and to further reduce its work...

Anonymously contributed: Weapons Complex Monitor December 5, 2011 LANL Director Forms Panel To Oversee Spending Cuts With his lab facing a potential budget shortfall of $200 million, Los Alamos National Laboratory Director Charlie McMillan has established a senior executive panel to oversee the lab’s belt tightening. McMillan said in a memo to employees last week that he was forming a Laboratory Integrated Stewardship Council that will be headed up by lab Executive Director Rich Marquez that will make staffing and spending decisions and approvals “in order to keep Laboratory spending in line with the budget realities we face.” The panel will include leaders from the lab’s five principal directorates: Alan Bishop (Science, Technology and Engineering), Bret Knapp (Weapons), Terry Wallace (Global Security), Carl Beard (Operations and Business), and Paul Henry (Capital Projects). McMillan said the panel would operate through the end of Fiscal Year 2012 and would make decisions for a...

Anonymously contributed: Two Elements Named: Livermorium and Flerovium Jennifer Welsh, LiveScience Staff Writer http://www.livescience.com/17287-element-names-flerovium-livermorium.html

Analyst Sees Lasting Damage To Los Alamos, Livermore Labs http://www.independentnews.com/news/article_dcc64e10-1c8b-11e1-b5c0-001871e3ce6c.html

Anonymously contributed: New Livermore Lab director Albright starts job San Francisco Business Times by Steven E.F. Brown Date: Friday, December 2, 2011, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory welcomed a new director, Penrose “Parney” Albright, on Thursday. Albright started work as the 11th director of the Department of Energy laboratory, taking over from the retiring George Miller. Besides being the lab’s director, Albright, a physicist, is president of Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC, the group that manages the lab. LLNS is a team of businesses, including San Francisco-based Bechtel Corp., URS Corp., and the University of California. In the past, Albright oversaw global security at Livermore Lab, which hired him in 2009. He also was president of Civitas Group LLC, which studies the United States’ defenses against terrorism. He was Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in the past. Albright also designed an experiment that was carried int...

Anonymously contributed: Heard that Lab Benefits office is hinting that voluntary separations may be happening this spring. Anyone else hear this?

Anonymously contributed: The story below about the death of Boeing's Super-Weapons Lab will sound *very* familiar to anyone who has been working at LLNL or LANL over the last few years. It probably should get its own top level posing on this blog: --------- Bureaucracy, Labor Woes Doom Super-Weapons Lab http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/11/mega-weapons-lab/

Anonymously contributed: November 28, 2011 - LANL Memo Director Charlie McMillan has established a Laboratory Integrated Stewardship Council (LISC) to make financial decisions and provide approvals (staffing and spending) in order to keep Laboratory spending in line with current budget expectations. McMillan notes that LANL's key challenge for FY12 will be “to manage our staffing and spending to levels that will accommodate the ~$200M budget reduction that we expect to see in FY12.” He set up the LISC to ensure that resources are managed in a consistent and appropriate fashion throughout the Laboratory. Rich Marquez of the Director’s Office (DIR) will lead the LISC, which includes Terry Wallace of Global Security (PADGS), Bret Knapp of Weapons Programs (PADWP), Carl Beard of Operations and Business (PADOPS), Alan Bishop of Science, Technology, and Engineering (PADSTE), and Paul Henry of Capital Projects (PADCAP).

Interesting report on how to solve our problems. Makes sense. Some politicians and their corporate allies dont want the changes. We do. We can let them know in October 2012. http://www.ips-dc.org/reports/america_is_not_broke

Anonymously contributed: Great story about LLNL manager, Battelle: http://www.npr.org/2011/11/21/142583959/youre-probably-using-battelle-technology-and-dont-even-know-it

ANonymous contribution: So the super committee failed. It should mean big cuts for defense. Now the question is whether this includes NNSA and DOE. Anyone know anything?

Respondens: 56 More: 1 less: 41 the same: 14

Chu testifies on Solyndra loan. http://www.c-span.org/Events/Energy-Secretary-Chu-Testifies-on-Solyndra-Loan/10737425577-1/

Anonymously contributed: Russian military chief warns of nuclear war risks By Vladimir Isachenkov - Associated Press November 17, 2011 MOSCOW (AP) — Russia is facing a heightened risk of being drawn into conflicts at its borders that have the potential of turning nuclear, the nation's top military officer said Thursday. Gen. Nikolai Makarov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, cautioned over NATO's expansion eastward and warned that the risks of Russia being pulled into local conflicts have "risen sharply." Makarov added, according to Russian news agencies, that "under certain conditions local and regional conflicts may develop into a full-scale war involving nuclear weapons." A steady decline in Russia's conventional forces has prompted the Kremlin to rely increasingly on its nuclear deterrent. The nation's military doctrine says it may use nuclear weapons to counter a nuclear attack on Russia or an ally, or a large-sca...

Anonymously contributed: The 192 lasers of the National Ignition Facility have so far failed to focus enough energy on a tiny fuel pellet to initiate nuclear fusion. Click below to continue reading: http://www.physicstoday.org/daily_edition/politics_and_policy/1.2657141

ANOYMOUSLY CONTRIBUTED: Employee benefit cuts at ORNL; no word yet on voluntary departures As part of the announcement back in September that the lab was looking to cut up to 350 jobs to prepare for budget shortfalls and perceived tight budgets in the future, ORNL Director Thom Mason said management would also be evaluating changes in employee benefits as a way to reduce costs. At the time, he said the lab didn't want to proceed too quickly because there could be ramifications on recruiting, etc. On Monday, however, Mason announced to staff that the Dept. of Energy had approved UT-Battelle's decision to suspend matching contributions to employee 401(k) savings plans for non-bargaining unit employees and also make changes in the paid leave policy to better position the lab for the future. The timing of the announcement apparently was to let that info be known for employees considering a voluntary departure program (deadline for applications is tomorrow, Nov. 16). The numbe...

Anonymously contributed: DOE restructuring? At least, someone is thinking about it. NY Times article

This breaking news below just in from ABC News. Dr. Chu is in serious trouble. I wonder when the media will start to investigate "Bechtel-gate" and Tom D'Agostino over at the NNSA?: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/white-house-email-energy-secretary-chu/story?id=14934698#.Tr7ZV_KwVX7

Anonymously contributed: LANS Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program? Does anyone have any information of a VRIP at LANS slated for April 2012 at LANS and LLNS? It looks like LANS is lining their ducks (e.g. creating RIF lists) for major a VRIP and/or RIF based on a significant budget reduction for FY 2012. This is also based on the possibility of automatic "across the board" super-committee budget cuts. MacMillan will be speaking to this on November 15.

Anonymously contributed (unconfirmed): layoffs at NIF! couple of nif employees told me that 40 people went out the door on 11/01/11.

Anonymously contributed by a different contributor: http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-11-scientists-blame-los-alamos.html

Anonymously contributed: Take a look at Hugh Gusterson's article in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, "The Assault on Los Alamos National Laboratory". I think it does a pretty good job of briefly describing the mismanagement and decline of LANL (and LLNL) over the last several years. http://bos.sagepub.com/content/67/6/9.full.pdf+html

Anonymously contributed: Let the Debate begin. From the New York Times Editorials, 10/30/11... "...In his push to win votes for the New Start treaty, Mr. Obama gave away far too much to balking Republican senators. He promised to invest an extra $85 billion over 10 years for the nuclear labs to maintain and modernize the arsenal, including overhauling thousands of older bombs that should be retired. He proposed spending $125 billion over the next decade for a new fleet of nuclear-armed submarines, 100 new bombers, a new land-based intercontinental ballistic missile and two other missiles. Senior military officials acknowledge that hard decisions must be made — including possibly eliminating one leg of the nuclear triad. In July, Gen. James Cartwright, then vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called for a reassessment of where nuclear weapons fit in today’s world. All Americans need to be part of that discussion, as does the Congressional “supercommittee,” charged...

FROM PAO: Penrose "Parney" C. Albright has been named the director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Norman J. Pattiz, chairman of Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS), which manages the lab for the U.S. Department of Energy, made the announcement today (Oct. 27). The appointment takes effect Dec. 1. Albright also will serve as president of LLNS. Appointed with the concurrence of DOE, Albright is the 11th director of the Lab since it was established in 1952. He replaces George Miller, who is stepping down after six years as director and a 40-year career of service to the nation and the Laboratory. "We have selected a leader who brings a fundamental understanding of the importance of science and technology to national and global security," Pattiz said. "In selecting a leader for Livermore Laboratory, we have found someone who has credibility in the national security arena and a history of addressing a broad range of complex technical...

Anonymously contributed: How about we start an occupy Livermore movement? There is one at Los Almaos now and more people will be joining. You do not have to be on the left or the right you just have to feel that something is deeply wrong in Washington and the United States. The labs have been turned over to private hands and what has been the result other than a few people getting rich and the ability to our mission eroded. What did the American taxpayer gain? Nothing. Now imagine what happened at the labs but much worse for the rest of the people. The military people cannot get proper equipment to protect themselves yet private contractors get billions with no value added to our military. You are forced to put your money in dodgy stock plans since the interest rates are kept near zero. Businesses and labs lose money and lay off people yet managers are paid way more than they ever had, is this the free market, is this the capitalists way, hell no? We are becoming a nation of pirat...

Anonymously contributed: Age and pay discrimination are alive and well @ LLNL-LLNS. The good old boys & girls continue. Due to the secrecy of wages/salaries at LLNS I had no gauges as to where I stood w/ my peers. I just recently found out where I stand and I am very disappointed and offended. I am a 60+ year young, 20+ career employee and have an Engineering degree. No I do not want to retire, I like my job but I want to be treated fairly. I began in the Plant Engineering Crafts Shops and moved into the coordination field. I have had a great deal of training and performed many, many types of work from grunt to medium level management tasks and activities. I am only a 5XX after 20+ years. I have been held back from advancement (5XX > 3XX Series) and been given negligible pay raises compared to my peers while performing the same work tasks. In other words, in my humble opinion, I have the same Skills, Knowledge & Abilities (SKAs) or more w/o the benefit of mo...

http://dailycaller.com/2011/10/20/doe-refuses-to-let-author-of-solyndra-legal-memo-be-interviewed/#ixzz1bMh6hs4I

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/280715/busted-doe-altered-solyndra-related-documents-andrew-stiles

Unverified news: Poster reveal your source, Scooby News broke today that the DOE has been caught red-handed in the act of re-wording previous press releases issued back in April about the corrupt Solyndra-gate affair. Shades of Orwell's 1984!

In Bechtel's Deputy Lab Director "rotation scheme" at LANS/LLNS, Ike Richardson is being transferred from one salt mine at Los Alamos to another mine in Australia. Does anyone know exactly what Ike accomplished during his short stay at LANL?

Welcome back Scooby! Keep in mind your providing an important National service. We missed you and appreciate your time and effort....

DOE's NREL energy lab in Colorado just announced it is implementing a 10% RIF. The cause for the RIF? Congressional gridlock hurting their expected funding. We'll likely see something similar to this at the NNSA labs. ** ‘Green jobs’ farm in Colorado sheds jobs after receiving $200M in stimulus funds ** 10/4/2011 President Barack Obama’s “green jobs” initiatives suffered another major blow late Monday, as the nonprofit National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colorado, announced a plan to lay off roughly 10 percent of its staff through a voluntary buy-out plan. According to the Denver Post, the lab plans to eliminate between 100 and 150 of its 1,350 jobs. The Obama administration supported the NREL in 2009 with roughly $200 million in stimulus grants. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu visited Golden in May 2009 to promote the NREL as a beneficiary of those funds. ...The lab’s mission is to handle U.S. Department of Energy research and development programs. NREL spokes...

Can someone explain in simple English what is actually happening to the 401(K) plan? Looks to me like we lose, again. It's hard to tell if we have the option to keep our funds with Fidelity-there is some verbage about "if you do not want your existing balances and future contributions to transfer to the similar investment options... contact Fidelity Investments before 4:00 pm..."

Well, the entire blog is "crap" just to be clear. However, the obvious absence of the blog owner for so many days (weeks) indicates a lack of attention and commitment on his part. I for one would be happy if the blog went away, but to the extent it pretends to provide a venue for "current" LLNL issues, it is failing badly with no explanation. Can anyone explain why a blog owner cannot connect briefly in order to at least post a note as to why he is not able to attend his blog?? At least with the old LANL blog, when Frank was found dead in a hotel room, Doug was able to explain what was going on, and Doug was probably the worst blog owner in history.

Folks, take a chill pill. Or launch the blog of your choice. Clearly the moderator is out of the loop right now. Maybe they are enjoying a nice cruise. A bit of spam here is hardly a crisis and probably no more crap than some of the 'normal' commentary.

Interesting how this blog can go so long unattended. No offense, Scooby, but could you clean up your act once in a while? Not all your corespondents are complying with the rules for posting. And you aren't complying with your own rules. This blog now seems like a sad, unattended vacation house with mouldy shutters and rotted wood, with 2 foot high weeds at the front door. Pretty sad. Say, any chance you'll be giving it up for good? Nah, too much to hope for.

Fatality at LANL One Dead in Pajarito Road Rollover Crash By Carol A. Clark Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 11:04 am (Updated: September 18, 2:47 pm) A person was killed Saturday morning in a rollover crash on Pajarito Road, which is restricted and on Los Alamos National Laboratory property. In typical "no information LANS policy", nothing been conveyed to LANL employees on this incident.

I wonder what part Dr. Chu had in the sleazy Solyndra deal that has recently been uncovered? March 20, 2009 – Solyndra, Inc. announced today that it is the first company to receive an offer for a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantee under Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Solyndra, a Fremont, California-based manufacturer of innovative cylindrical photovoltaic systems, will use the proceeds of a $535 million loan from the U.S. Treasury’s Federal Financing Bank to expand its solar panel manufacturing capacity in California. “The leadership and actions of President Barack Obama, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and the U.S. Congress were instrumental in concluding this offer for a loan guarantee,” said Solyndra CEO and founder, Dr. Chris Gronet.

Saw this on another topic- would like to have a topic on the formation of a technical staff union at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, which is an NNSA lab that does work for the Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program. The KAPL staff had recent benefits slashed under new management. How bad do things have to get at the weapons physics labs before this option is on the table? or will we just keep taking it form LLNS/LANS/NNSA in stride?

Any word or serious rumor on the next LLNL Director. Isn't George Miller due to retire at the end of this month?

There is a writer doing a story on Hanford for Seattle Weekly and he is wondering if someone might be willing to talk a bit about Frank Russo's history at LLNL? Let me know and I will put you in touch with him.

Anonymosuly contributed: Rumor has it, LLNS lost a law suit with on a layoff action. The line I heard is that some of the trades laid off are being hired back, with back pay. Any one have anything concrete?

Article by Diane Randall of Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)

Anonymously contributed: I am trying to find out information about LLNL and rates/statistics of Leukemia and if there are existing lawsuits against LLNL and DOE regarding getting Leukemia while working at LLNL.

Maybe McMillan is actually good for LANL. At least he got rid of William Rees, who was an utter disaster. He got rid of all the good managers and completely turned everything upside down. It went so fast on Fr, that we still have his picture an Bio on the GS webpage (today We), but with Terry Wallace the new PAD. Maybe McMillan will reorganize the lab.

Anyone has an idea on who the LLNS president will be?

As someone who is familiar with something called the private sector, can anybody please explain the the concept of the flextime/at-will employee? The way I read the LLNL definitions, you are a regular at will employee that can be fired for any reason (or no reason at all). But on top of that, you are guaranteed to be fired within 6 years. I don't understand, if you can be fired for any reason (or no reason at all), why do they tack on this seemingly superfluous: "Oh, and by the way, don't make yourself too comfortable. And certainty don't bother gaining experience in the arcane subtitles of laser ICF or weapons physics, since you'll be guaranteed to be out on the streets in 6 years, max!" And then they dangle this "career indefinite" carrot like its your ticket to the promised land--but as far as I cal tell, that's nothing more than a regular at-will position. Is it just me, or are these people living in a fairy land where rational, intelligent p...

Anonymously contributed: First, hasn't been any PR releases lately bragging about NIF greatness. Second, this week NIF seems to be taking both people and $$$ from WCI for some new activity

Anonymously contributed: Does anyone know why LANL X and W-Divisions suddenly closed all advertised positions and ceased hiring? Is this due to the downward spiral of weapon funding or another draconian move by Knapp to flex his weight? Is this the first sign that "firings" will soon begin at LANS?

Anonymously contributed: NT times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/science/earth/21laser.html?hp

Anonymously contributed: Has anyone heard the status of Norm Pattiz's selection for the LLNS Director? What's taking him so long? Is he in the Caribbean or what? For those of us at LANS, we sure do hope it's Bret Knapp, you deserve him back.

Anonymously contributed: http://pogoblog.typepad.com/

Thief said: I'm not in science. I'm in "support" and don't get the opportunity to chat with those in the rarified air of "science". If the guy who made the condescending remark is right then there shouldn't be many comments. But since he brought it up I thought I would pursue it. Are those in the science and research areas paying any attention and how, if it all, are the issues discussed (funding, protocol, bureaucracy etc.) here impacting them. I've been curious for a while now just how much the imposed protocol/documentation burden is hampering real science. I see it at my level that it takes anywhere from three to four times as long to get work done now as compared to when I started in the late 90's but again...that's not science. How tied down are the postdocs and PHd's now and are we likely to see any relaxation or elimination of non science related "fluff" when the money gets really gets tight.

Thief said, in response to a comment in another post: Don't flatter yourself in your comparisons. The real scientists do not visit this blog often, if at all. August 5, 2011 7:41 PM You may be right....although you commit a glaring error in logic in your making that claim (I wonder if you know what it is....that's cool we'll leave it as a homework assignment for you) Anyway, does anybody in the lab scientific community regularly visit this blog and if so are you finding the increased paperwork burden and work control requirements a hindrance to your work?

http://www.mndaily.com/2011/08/03/doe-official-foresees-funding-cuts

Anonymously contributed: A budget deal has been reached, does anyone know how NNSA did?

Thief asked: Anybody else notice how slow it is on Thursdays and Fridays these days? In the past when I would deign to come in to catch up on things on a Saturday or...gasp....Sunday there was always a little activity. These days the weekend seems to start around 4:30 Wednesday afternoon. Am I crazy or just losing my powers of observation?

Anonymously contributed: Any one else notice the different uniformed security officers at the LLNL gates. I think they are on loan from other sites.

Anonymously contributed: Here's is an interesting excerpt from the July 22, 2011 Nuclear Weapons & Materials Monitor story on the NAS Laboratory Management Panel's last public session with former NNSA Administrator Linton Brooks ------------------ In re-examining the decisions that led to the recompetition of the lab contracts nearly a decade ago, Brooks emphasized that it would be “difficult to overstate the anti- University of California bias existing at that time,” especially on Capitol Hill. However, he made it clear that the moves by DOE to consider re-bidding the Los Alamos contract—and ultimately the direction from Congress to recompete nearly all lab contracts—were fueled by concerns about business practices, not science. “There was never the slightest concern with the quality of science,” Brooks said. “The quality of science as far as we could tell then and as far as I can tell today is superb.” Przybylek [former NNSA General Counsel and Chair of the LANL con...

Anonymously contributed: So How Many Acres Did Burn on LANL Property MacMillan? 133 Acres Burned on Lab (LANL) Property Las Conchas: The majority of the burned acreage, though, was due to backburn By John Severance (LA Monitor) Saturday, July 23, 2011 at 7:44 pm (Updated: July 24, 4:23 am) Officials at Los Alamos National Laboratory were insistent throughout that the Los Conchas Fire only came onto LANL and Department of Energy property twice. The first came when the fire jumped over NM 4 onto TA-49, causing a one-acre fire that was quickly extinguished June 27, the second day of the fire. The second came on July 2 when a squirrel touched contacts in an electrical substation’s transformer at TA-53, the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) Facility substation and that fire was put out within a short period. On Friday, the Las Conchas Burned Area Emergency Response team released the acreage burned by jurisdiction. The chart said that 133 acres burned on DOE and LA...

Anonymously contributed: From 911blogger.com 7/12/2011: http://911blogger.com/news/2011-07-12/questionable-history-lawrence-livermore-national-labs

Anonymously contributedL From the lab's (LANL) Daily Clips page: Weapons Complex Morning Briefing July 19, 2011 Brooks 'not Been Impressed' With Industrial Partners At LANL Addressing a National Academy of Sciences panel examining the management of NNSA's weapons laboratories yesterday, former NNSA Administrator Linton Brookssaid the recompetition of the Los Alamos National Laboratory contract to bring in industrial partners as part of the management team is not working out exactly as he'd hoped. Longtime LANL contractor University of California teamed with Bechtel, URS and B&W on its successful bid to keep the lab contract. "Our idea was that we would preserve the great science but improve safety, security and general management," Brooks said. "I think those areas have improved. It is unclear to me whether they have improved enough to justify the turbulence that the contract change caused. I think the jury is still out. I have not been ...

Anonymously contributed: Time Running Out On Sandia Management Contract Contract Expires September 2012 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Officials said the clock is winding down for the federal government to decide whether to renew Lockheed Martin's contract to manage Sandia National Laboratories or hold a bidding competition to pick a corporate manager. The Albuquerque Journal reported that the contract for the nuclear weapons lab expires at the end of September 2012. Records suggested that the federal government has run out of options to easily grant the company a one-year extension. A joint venture of Boeing and Fluor had already gone public with its desire to bid on a Sandia contract. Other possible contenders are believed to be waiting in the wings. Sandia National Laboratories is one of the nation's three nuclear weapons design and maintenance laboratories

Not good: http://news.yahoo.com/house-passes-energy-bill-6b-below-obamas-request-174844659.html

Anonymously contributed: Energy Secretary Steven Chu is reorganizing the department’s nuclear weapons complex cleanup efforts, placing the department’s Office of Environmental Management under the jurisdiction of the National Nuclear Security Administration. Since the creation of NNSA, there has been tension between separate management structures of EM and the NNSA, which at times played out in confusion at Los Alamos National Laboratory about competing cleanup and weapons missions. From Chu’s announcement, emailed to staff this afternoon: While we have made enormous progress, there is still much left to do, and we will only succeed through teamwork and continuous improvement. In the critical area of project management, we must always strive to raise the bar on our own performance. As a next step in the process, I am pleased to announce some organizational changes the Department intends to make to align the program’s needs more closely with the agency’s resources, while enhanci...

Anonymously contributed: Controversy at Hanford cleanup: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/06/nation/la-na-adv-nuclear-whistleblower-20110705

Anonymously contributed: It's is too early to say how much the Las Conchas Fire will cost Los Alamos National Laboratory, according to laboratory spokesman Kevin Roark. Some 13,000 LANL employees returned to work Wednesday. "People are just now filling out their timecards for last week," Roark said, adding that there is a cost code for fire-related activities. On the most elementary level, assuming a $2.5 billion annual budget and dividing that by the 260 days in a normal work year, there is a daily cost of $9.6 million — or $58 million for the six missed days. But there is not a single number on which everyone agrees for the lab's annual income. Many operations run 24/7, with at least some of them continuing or even costing more during an emergency. "The last time the lab calculated the cost of a 'snow day,' the number was about $3 million," Roark said. After the 2000 Cerro Grande Fire, the lab received $341 million from the U.S. Ene...

Anonymously contributed: NOT Going to Happen... A Snowball's chance in... Nuclear Weapons & Materials Monitor - Martin Schneider July 1, 2011 White House Considering Merging DOE With Commerce Department The idea of broadly restructuring the Department of Energy is set to make a return engagement for the 2012 Presidential Election, with President Obama preparing to float the possibility of a new Department of Competitiveness that would include most of DOE as part of his reelection campaign, NW&M Monitor has learned. The proposal would consolidate the Department of Commerce with non-defense portions of the Department of Energy such as the Department’s loan office, Office of Nuclear Energy, Fossil Energy, and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The National Nuclear Security Administration would be split off into a separate standalone agency. It remains unclear where the offices of Environmental Management and Legacy Management would end up under the proposal. Th...

The purpose of this BLOG, as you know, is to allow people to express how they feel on topics that affect all of us. Over of the almost 4 years of its existence and especially since the LANL blog closure, I will be first one to admit that the comments have turned into bitterness and negative dwelling. It is one thing to express disagreement and give your opinion, it is another to chew the same thoughts over and over; for example, what good does it do me and others to know that Charlie (is that his first name?) Mc Millan lives in Livermore or Los Alamos? or that someone in ULM drives a Bentley? Learn how to make real contributions to the BLOG or don't make any. BY the same token, I would like to thanks all contributors who have kept contributing despite the "trolling".

Anonymously contributed: "I'm researching patent/IP theft, and I'm curious if you know -- or could put me in touch with someone who does know -- about patent/IP looting at national labs. I have a friend who works at a national lab in California who has been working on a design for some time. It's almost ready for technology transfer/licensing, and some claim-jumpers have started calling it "Our unique patented technology" and are out winning business plan competitions with it, and are shopping the gadget around for venture money and manufacture. My friend has had this happen to three of his inventions now, and the previous two times, the Lab folded its cards and granted licenses for token fees. Once again, the Lab looks to be issuing not-very-strongly-worded letters expressing concern about apparent improprieties, while eyeing the exits nervously. My suspicion is that various business types have discovered that if you just straight rip off a National Lab, ...

Anonymously contributed: "NM wildfire grows, shuts famed Los Alamos nuke lab" http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110627/ap_on_re_us/us_western_wildfires

Anonymously contributed: I didn't see George Miller's quarterly all-hands meeting yesterday, but thought this recap item today from Lab Public Affairs of note: ...Regarding the status of the LLNS defined benefit pension plan, Miller explained that although the plan is currently overfunded at 130 percent, future liabilities are such that employee and employer contributions will be needed within the next five years. "We believe the most prudent approach would be to start payments early, but DOE denied our request to begin contributions. I expect that we'll request approval again early next fiscal year." Seems DOE wants its contractor's pension plan to fail.

Anonymously contributed: According to planned overhead taxes in FY13, my program costs go down significantly. The CFO people tell me that the rate change is caused by the fact that NIF will finally have to pay its fair share in taxes. Has anyone else noticed this change and received the same answer? Do you think it will really happen?

Anonymously contributed: Note from Scooby: So many people, so much energy, so much money we dont have! That is the NNSA way! Here are the names of the Committee appointed by UC President Mark Yudof to select the new LLNL Director: Norman J. Pattiz, Chairman Chairman, LLNS Board of Governors Chairman, UC Regents Committee on Oversight of the DOE Labs Chairman, Westwood One J. Scott Ogilvie Director Bechtel Group, Inc. Bruce B. Darling LLNS Board of Governors Executive Committee Vice President Laboratory Management UC Office of the President Sidney D. Drell LLNS Board of Governors Chair, Mission Committee Professor & Deputy Director Emeritus SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory William R. Frazer LLNS Board of Governors Executive Committee Chair, S&T Committee Senior Vice President Emeritus UC Office of the President Richard W. Mies LLNS Board of Governors Chair, Nuclear Weapons Complex Integration Committee Bruce D. Varner ...

Contributed by John: This is also long but a very interesting read if true... Nuclear Weapons & Materials Monitor June 10, 2011 Chu, white House Expected to Play Larger Role in LLNL Director Search -- Todd Jacobson Energy Secretary Steven Chu and officials at the White House are expected to assert themselves in the search for a new director at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, strongly pushing for candidates with more of a basic science and energy background after similar concerns raised during the recently completed Los Alamos National Laboratory director search came too late to influence the selection. Chu was lukewarm about the selection of Charlie McMillan as Los Alamos National Laboratory’s next director, NW&M Monitor has learned, initially favoring a candidate with more of a basic science and energy background before signing off on the choice. Several officials with knowledge of the search have confirmed that White House Science and Technology Policy a...

In solidarity with the group of UC retirees who experienced a setback in their benefits lawsuit, please give your feedback on judge Frank Roescher at: http://courthouseforum.com/forums/evaluationtrial.php

Anonymously contributed: Judge dismisses Livermore lab retirees' lawsuit Transfer of retiree health plan deemed legal By Suzanne Bohan Contra Costa Times Posted: 06/07/2011 03:17:40 PM PDT Updated: 06/08/2011 06:18:40 AM PDT A three-year legal battle by Lawrence Livermore Laboratory retirees over medical benefits has sustained a major setback, according to a spokesman for the plaintiffs. In a lawsuit against the regents of the University of California, four lab retirees argued that UC illegally transferred them into the health care plan of the entity that took over lab management from the university in 2007. But on May 27, an Oakland judge dismissed the lawsuit. The four plaintiffs, including a former associate lab director, are deciding whether they'll appeal. "This is, of course, very disappointing news for the retiree group," said Carl Whitaker, the group's spokesman. The group asserted that UC promised them lifetime health benefits comparable to...

Contributed by John: June 3, 2011 Dear members of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory community: I am writing to you as a follow up to my letter of April 12, 2011, regarding George Millers decision to retire. We have begun our process to search for the next director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). As part of this process, it is important that we hear directly from those who represent the real strength of the Laboratory the talented and dedicated LLNL staff. As stipulated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS) partners, the University of California (UC) is responsible for leading the search for the new Laboratory director. The search process will be similar in scope and breadth to that which resulted in the recent successful recruitment of Charlie McMillan as the new director for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). It also is consistent with that used by the University in all searches for the chancellors of our campuses, as ...

Anonymously contributed: Charles McMillan has been appointed director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and president of Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS), the company that manages and operates the Lab for the National Nuclear Security Administration. The appointments were announced today by Norman Pattiz, chairman of the LANS Board of Governors, and are effective June 1, 2011.

A bit of good news! http://livermore.patch.com/articles/livermore-unemployment-rate-dips-slightly-in-april

Contributed by thief: Since this strikes me as a wagering crowd...or at least one favorably disposed to making wildly exaggerated statements about matters where there is little legitimate information....are we making bets about who the new director will be?

Last week, Newsline announced that DOE will be outlining its strategies. Does anyone know what they were? in summary? Thank you!

I started seeing people being hung up on the comments I delete after the fact. If they violate posted blog rules, you bet I am going to delete them. Comments about why I delete comments are, by their very nature, off topic and will too be deleted. Don't bother making such comments. Instead, recommend a new post and let people comment on your post.

Anonymously contributed: The Lame Ducks spill the beans. It is interesting to read these two articles: http://www.independentnews.com/news/article_7a30ea08-72bd-11e0-bd4d-001cc4c002e0.html http://www.santafenewmexican.com/local%20news/Cost-crunch-takes-toll-on-science-at-LANL Both are write ups of Miller's and Anastasio's testimony before the National Academy of Science meetings. It seems that now that they have nothing to lose,they can begin to tell it like it is. Miller points out that other entities of the government would like to do business with LLNL but are thwarted by NNSA policy. Anastasio indicates that the extra cost of running LANL by Bechtel inc. has "taken lot of flexibility taken out of the institution." Miller makes it a little more blunt by saying the change has caused a loss of morale and stability. When Miller was asked whether something should be read into the fact that the leaders of LANL, Sandia and LLNL were all departing,...

Contributed by John: Weapons Complex Monitor April 28, 2011 UC Official: Overlapping Lab Director Searches A ‘Positive’ Bruce Darling, the University of California’s Vice President for Lab Management, provided few details about the searches for the next laboratory directors at Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories yesterday, but he dismissed the notion that the overlapping searches could complicate the hunt for new directors at the laboratories. Mike Anastasio will retire from Los Alamos National Laboratory June 1, while George Miller will leave Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Oct. 1. “Neither search is going to be hurt or slowed down by the other going on at the same time,” Darling said on the sidelines of a National Academy of Sciences meeting at Lawrence Livermore yesterday, adding: “We view the fact that these are happening in sequence to be very positive. We’ve already been looking around the country for candidates for one lab director, and we have ...

Contributed by thief: In one of the George Miller threads somebody mentioned a potential RIF. Anybody hear anything?

Anonymously contributed: LLNL Retirees Health payments Vs. Hewitt Keep after them. Make sure they handle it. Clear as mud? For those retirees whose UC medical coverage has been yanked, LLNS doesn't do it themselves. They have hired Hewitt (now Aon Hewitt) who are supposed to send money to B of A, who LLNS has hired to run your HRA (Health Retirement Account.) This is a reduced amount, instead of LLNS or UC paying for health care. Max $2400/year. The amount is reduced based on years of service (rounded down to full years only). For the first year it is also reduced by being prorated by the months remaining in the calendar year once you reach 65. I am in the midst of trying to get this to actually work, and get B of A to pay LLNS toward my Group Kaiser Senior Advantage and Delta Dental. This has required so many long waits on the phones with every one of the cast of characters it is hard to believe. Hours on the phone. But I am posting this to inform all that YOU need to k...