LLNL - The True Story -

NY Times on Los Alamos National Laboratory drum explosion at WIPP “I don’t know how you can look at the facts themselves or any of the subsequent investigations and not have serious questions about the effectiveness of management and oversight at Los Alamos National Laboratory and WIPP,” said Ryan C. Flynn, the secretary of the Environment Department in New Mexico. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/30/us/in-us-cleanup-efforts-accident-at-nuclear-site-points-to-cost-of-lapses.html?_r=0

First- A publicity video for the lab was running in a loop at the beginning - it was really awkward - says our "mission is discovery". More like, our mission is "practical solutions for National Security" - we are a weapons lab not a science lab. It shows a bicycle ride around the lab on "mission discovery" - whoever authorized that video is so out of touch it is truly embarrassing. Next, All Hands Presentation - Unbelievably he presented almost the same highlights as at the last All Hands meeting - High Foot, 191 NIF shots, additive manufacturing, bio assay, wind power. Several slides on safety. They really need to consider going back to the slideshow featuring closer to 100 highlights at the end of All Hands presentations. I can't believe I'm nostalgic for George's All Hands meetings - but he and Parney were much more inclusive and got a lot closer to covering the whole lab instead of the same few select favorites each time...

Interview with Peter Kuran who, among other things, is currently working with Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos National Laboratories to preserve and catalog images from the bomb-testing era, and to produce a technical handbook that will help people understand these images and the techniques used to create them Best, Janice Peter Kuran: Bringing Hollywood to History: http://thebulletin.org/peter- kuran-bringing-hollywood- history7752 By Janice Sinclaire Internet Outreach Coordinator Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 1155 East 60th Street Chicago, IL  60637 U.S.A. T.   707.481.9372 F.   773.980.6932 E.   jsinclaire@thebulletin.org IT IS 5 MINUTES TO  MIDNIGHT www.thebulletin.org http://bos.sagepub.com/

DOE "Whistleblower" Bias?  Does the DOE whistleblower "worker protection" program have a history of bias in support of the contractor?  "SENIOR DOE OFFICIAL WANTS PROBE INTO FIRING OF LOS ALAMOS DISSIDENT http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/16/senior-doe-official-wants-probe-into-firing-of-los-alamos-dissident.html

We've just posted an excellent piece by Malcolm Dando and Michael Crawley that explores the development of incapacitating chemical agents (ICAs) by a number of countries. It's a terrific read, and it points out that in addition to military applications, proponents of ICAs consider law enforcement an ideal area for use. Best regards, Janice The incapacitating chemcial agent loophole:  http://thebulletin. org/incapacitating-chemical- agents-loophole7750 --  Janice Sinclaire Internet Outreach Coordinator Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 1155 East 60th Street Chicago, IL  60637 U.S.A. T.   707.481.9372 F.   773.980.6932 E.   jsinclaire@thebulletin.org

Albright named president and CEO of HRL, Laboratories LLC LLNL Newsline- 10/20/2014 Parney Albright, former director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has been named the president and chief executive officer of HRL Laboratories, LLC [Hughes Research Laboratories]. He takes over the job formerly occupied by William Jeffrey on Nov. 3.  HRL is a commercial research and development center focused on advanced microelectronics, information and systems sciences, materials, sensors and photonics, among other disciplines. It specializes in integrated circuits, antennas, networking, smart materials and lasers. Formerly a research arm of Hughes Aircraft, HRL produced the first working model of a laser in 1960, by Theodore Maiman.  "This is one of the premier scientific institutions in the country, a storied lab with a long history of innovation," Albright said. "It is quite an honor, and I look forward to being a part of such a talented team."  Albright, who will reti...

Does anyone have the current TCP1 and TCP2 employee retention data considering population, classification, and age?

I just talked to a retired LLNS individual that their medical was now fully on them, no more allowance from LLNS. Can anyone provide more information?

Too many LLNS managers are promoted for reasons that do not include scientific or technical innovation. Many of them are degree free, earned degrees after their promotion, or earned historically meaningless degrees to leverage a promotion. This pattern is employee morale damaging to the LLNS innovators and our future.

Lockheed says makes breakthrough on fusion energy project Reuters - Oct 15, 2014 By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp said on Wednesday it had made a technological breakthrough in developing a power source based on nuclear fusion, and the first reactors, small enough to fit on the back of a truck, could be ready for use in a decade. Tom McGuire, who heads the project, said he and a small team had been working on fusion energy at Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works for about four years, but were now going public to find potential partners in industry and government for their work. Initial work demonstrated the feasibility of building a 100-megawatt reactor measuring seven feet by 10 feet, which could fit on the back of a large truck, and is about 10 times smaller than current reactors, McGuire told reporters. In a statement, the company, the Pentagon's largest supplier, said it would build and test a compact fusion reactor in less than a year, and build a pr...

Since LANS and LLNS are funded by DOE/NNSA, and ultimately the tax payer, should they each be required to disclose all salaries, bonuses, etc. once a year? How would such a disclosure impact employee morale and retention now, and a few years out, if changes are implemented as a result of required salary disclosures? October 15, 2014 at 8:24 AM   comments: You people don't read the warnings that comments are not allowed in the "suggested topics" area. Next time, I will delete your comments.   Scooby Comments:   Anonymous  said... What would be the purpose of such a rule, except to stoke jealousy and hard feelings? One would hope that employees' "morale and retention" would depend on their progress and accomplishments in their careers, not how much money their bosses make. Pretend you work for a private company (you do). You think any company with a government contract should be forced to make such disclosures? Good luck with that. October 15...

LLNL Avoids Fine For 2013 Sulfuric Acid Burn Incident Weapons Complex Monitor October 9, 2014 LLNL Avoids Fine For 2013 Sulfuric Acid Burn Incident Already hit with a $365,000 fee reduction for a 2013 sulfuric acid burn event that left two employees with first - and second-degree burns, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory avoided further penalties for the incident, according to a Preliminary Notice of Violation sent to the lab last week. The workers received sulfuric acid burns to their face, extremities and torso from a direct acid splash when a 100-liter reaction vessel sprayed a work area at the lab’s Site 300. The workers were performing chemical synthesis of a high explosive. A third worker was exposed to sulfuric acid mist but encountered no other injuries, the NNSA said. “The event revealed deficiencies in work planning and control processes, emergency response,  industrial hygiene , management responsibilities, and pressure safety,” National Nuclear  Security Admini...

"Stockton bankruptcy ruling could deal blow to CalPERS, public pensions" http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-stockton-bankruptcy-ruling-20141001-story.html How might this ruling affect those who haven't taken their UCRS pensions yet? The idea is that federal bankruptcy law supersedes California pension protections.

Rumor has it that 13 people in the CIO program will be escorted out on Friday. Can someone confirm that? what kind of skills, age and functional areas? Thanks!

More stealth censorship by Scooby. If you keep track of potential new comments on threads as I do, you tend to notice when the number of comments on a thread DECREASES all of a sudden. That's Scooby deleting things he doesn't like, about once a week. No explanation, no claim that a post violated blog rules, it just disappears. If you are one of the smart ones, you save your posts so that you can immediately repost them, since it will take Scooby another week or two to get around to more deletions. But the flow of the thread is gone and nothing makes sense anymore. If there were clear violations of the stated rules, OK, but that is clearly NOT the case. Plus, it is not like the entire world has not had a week, or maybe two, to read these posts. What is the point of deleting them, except Scooby's need to show control or stick it in the eye of the posters he does not like? Is this the kind of blog moderator we want?? Scooby, this blog is useful and pertinent, but you do not h...

[Los Alamos Study Group]  Press release: DOE Inspector General releases scathing report about LANL’s incompetent handling of waste, leading to WIPP shutdown For Immediate Release  October 1, 2014 DOE Inspector General releases scathing report about LANL’s incompetent handling of waste, leading to WIPP shutdown Contact: Greg Mello,  505-265-1200  office,  505-577-8563  cell Albuquerque, NM – Today the Department of Energy (DOE) Inspector General (IG) released  a scathing “Management Alert”  from their investigation into the role of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in causing the contamination and shutdown of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).  The Los Alamos Study Group filed a detailed formal request with the DOE IG to investigate these issues on July 15, 2014.  Today’s IG report is partly responsive to that request.  After noting that a LANL-created drum burst at WIPP, causing significant impacts no...