LLNL - The True Story -

Dave Lochbaum posts our latest Explain This column by explaining the three options for decommissioning a nuclear power plant. I hope you enjoy it! Best, Janice Nuclear Plant Decommissioning:  http:// thebulletin.org/nuclear-plant- decommissioning -- Janice Sinclaire Internet Outreach Coordinator

Anonymous  said... New article on fusion on BBC - no mention of NIF Is this a sign that NIF's credibility in fusion science has waned? http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130726-will-we-ever-have-nuclear-fusion/all

LANL not keeping track of nuclear materials This Department of Energy IG report applies to areas outside of TA-55. This is on top of the recent halt work order for TA-55 caused by lax following of radiation controls. http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/07/f2/INS-O-13-04.pdf

Weapons Complex Morning Briefing July 23, 2013 DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: NUCLEAR CUTS DON'T EQUAL BIG SAVINGS Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter waded into a long-running debate about how much the U.S. spends on its nuclear arsenal, suggesting late last week that the reductions proposed by the Obama Administration won’t generate big savings. Carter said at the Aspen Security Forum that the Pentagon spends about $16 billion a year to maintain the U.S. nuclear deterrent—totals that don’t include the NNSA’s nearly $8 billion annual weapons account. “It is not a big swinger of the budget,” Carter said. “You don’t save a lot of money by having arms control and so forth. But the reason you do it is because these things—though they don’t cost that much—are the most awesome and terrible inventions of humankind. … They are things always to remember are part of our arsenal that deserves our most careful thought and treatment and responsibility. But they’re not the answer to o...

Nuclear Weapons and Materials Monitor July 19, 2013 OBAMA SETS SIGHTS ON FORMER AIR FORCE GENERAL FOR TOP NNSA SPOT The Obama Administration is believed to be set to pick retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz as the next administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration , NW&M Monitor has learned. The exact timeline for Klotz’s nomination remains unclear, but officials with knowledge of the search said the former Global Strike Command chief was picked over former Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Director Mike Anastasio, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs Madelyn Creedon, and former Naval Reactors chief Kirkland Donald. Klotz will replace Tom D’Agostino, who retired in December, as well as a pair of acting administrators: Neile Miller and Bruce Held. Klotz retired from the Air Force in 2011 after standing up Global Strike Command, and has worked since then as a fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations. Durin...

Documents obtained by KRQE from the Freedom of Information Act on Sandia's fee penalties: http://media2.krqe.com/_local/pdf/SNL%20Fee%20Determination.pdf

Weapons Complex Morning Briefing July 18, 2013 SR. ADMIN. OFFICIAL VOICES SUPPORT FOR INTEROPERABLE WARHEAD STRATEGY The Obama Administration’s support of a “3+2” vision for the future of the nation’s nuclear stockpile, which includes the production of three interoperable warheads, has received in recent months some pushback from Congress and arms control experts, both because of technical concerns and the potential price tag of the warheads. But Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Jim Miller said yesterday that the Administration isn’t wavering in its support for the strategy, which is key to the potential stockpile reductions laid out by President Obama last month in a speech in Berlin. “We continue to think it’s very sensible,” Miller said during a speech at the Capitol Hill Club. “We’ve been talking to people on the Hill in this regard and it comes down … to the resources required to implement the strategy. I’ve seen nothing in either our analysis or in comments th...

One more reason why funding for NIF should be cut and give to companies that'll build devices that actually serve a purpose. If there is anyone out there with a brain would you please start putting our tax dollars in area that can be built with todays technology and in return we get the power we need instead of pussy footing around with $6B + and get nothing Note from Scooby: I dont see that "one more reason".

It's been over a month since the majority of SSVSP folks departed. Has anyone been able to draw unemployment? Any other issues arise?

https://www.llnl.gov/news/newsreleases/2013/Jul/NR-13-07-04.html#.UetWFo3lbng

Sandia chastised by an internal review board, condemned by the federal government and cost taxpayers millions of dollars: http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/larry_barker/sandia-lab-safety-costs-taxpaers-millions

The Photo Behind the Blog Title: I just realized this. The photo used behind the title for this blog looks like a tombstone, since the date says "1952-2007". Was this photo doctored and made to look like a "tombstone"? I only realized the irony just now (yes maybe I'm slow). The anger against Bechtel and the state of the lab (versus many decades ago) seem to reflect this idea.

After a work force reduction, why is llnl hiring new high paid managers that are on support dollars? comment: It is what they do when they need to get a big pay raise just prior to retirement. Please who needs any blue collar workers. Didn't you know that it's management who's the backbone of the lab and totally responsible for its success. I mean, come on, look around you.

Alex Wellerstein has another compelling slideshow at the Bulletin, this time commemorating this week's 68th anniversary of the Trinity nuclear test. Wellerstein points out that at this point in the project, the bomb was not a forgone conclusion, and it's abilities were largely guesses (including the most basic question of how explosive the blast would be). Please check it out and let us know what you think! Best regards, Janice The beginning of the bomb:  http://thebulletin.org/ multimedia/beginning-bomb -- Janice Sinclaire Internet Outreach Coordinator

We still have the PHD's at the UPTE board of directors (sorry I meant GED's) always wanting to help Director Parney (PHD) run the Laboratory. Please be aware Sen. Ron Paul (who has "some" good ideas) is proposing a National Right to Work law. Video, http://www.righttoworkcommittee.org/rtwash_petition.aspx?pid=dw2 It simply means I would not be fired if I leave a union. But if my coworker could be in a union if they choose. Why would I be fired if I choose not to pay union dues? Seems kind of dumb actually. Even if I opt out i still have to pay the union. Why? However you feel about Ron Paul he is right on this and please keep an eye out (in our complicated, busy life) for this National Right to Work law. Please educate yourself on this because the are the main contributers to Jerry Brown, etc...not to mention Bart, Numi, Hostess, etc.

Check this out! http://lajicarita.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/cover-up-and-collusion-at-the-sandia-national-laboratory-corral/

What are the opinions of the community, of an NNSA lab piloting a federalization effort? This would be similar to how NETL is run, where the lab is staffed and managed by US Government Employees. While most the National Labs are Government Owned Contractor Operated (GOCOs), only NETL is a Government Owned Contractor Operated (GOGO), where lab staff and management are DOE employees. NASA is an agency to look at, most of their sites (for the expectation of JPL) are federally staffed. Some pros: -Prestige of being a National Lab AND Federal Employee OPM benefits: -All federal holidays off, and usually the Secretary grants a few hour early dismissal the day before a holiday -FERS retirement, which includes a pension/TSP(401k) hybrid Military credit toward retirement -Federal health plan -Vacation days: 1-3 years of service: 4 hours every 2 weeks 3-15 years of service: 6 hours every 2 weeks +15 years of service: 8 hours every 2 weeks -Veterans preference (only a pro for vets)...

The 2013 R&D 100 Awards are out. http://www.rdmag.com/award-winners/2013/07/2013-r-d-100-award-winners Looks like LBNL is tops as primary developer both overall and among the DOE sponsored labs, with LLNL second for DOE sites. LBNL - 7 LLNL -4 SNL- 3 ANL - 3 ORNL - 3 LANL - 2 NREL - 2 NETL -2 Y-12 - 1 PNNL - 1 INL - 1 The non-DOE national lab, Lincoln Laboratory - 2

More financial waste by Sandia, with taxpayers footing the bill (confirmed by DOE): http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/larry_barker/secret-sandia-settlement-taps-taxpayers

Why can't llnl take out our pension contribution pre tax? I've been told by a CPA that they could do so, if they wanted to

Did LLNL do something weird with the 401K payment methods? I heard a letter was sent out.

http://www.lamonitor.com/content/congress-eyes-lab-waiver Last year, the lab received a one-time waiver from the NNSA fee determining official — principal deputy administrator  Congress eyes lab waiver Neile Miller, who left the post at the end of June. 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 was scratched out with a notation, “Yes. Contingent on LANS letter attached.” Miller also granted a one-year waiver to Lawrence Livermore lab. Miller adjusted Livermore’s fee in December, giving the lab contractor an extra $541,527 to help it meet the 80 percent mark.  The trade publication report said, House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) said the agency did itself a “tremendous disservice” by granting the award term extensions when he briefly raised the issue at a subcommittee hearing on D...