Heckavajob, McMillan. In addition to losing over $220 million in future clean-up work at LANL, LANS mismanagement also helped result in over $54 million in fines from the state of New Mexico. Charlie, however, will keep his job along with his perky $2 million per year in LANS compensation, no doubt.
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Mishaps at nuke repository lead to $54M in fines
AP News - Dec 6th 2014
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico on Saturday levied more than $54 million in penalties against the U.S. Department of Energy for numerous violations that resulted in the indefinite closure of the nation's only underground nuclear waste repository.
The state Environment Department delivered a pair of compliance orders to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, marking the state's largest penalty ever imposed on the agency. Together, the orders outline more than 30 state permit violations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in southeastern New Mexico and at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The orders and the civil penalties that come with them are just the beginning of possible financial sanctions the Energy Department could face in New Mexico. The state says it's continuing to investigate and more fines are possible.
news.yahoo.com/mishaps-nuke-repository
-lead-54m-fines-164900046.html
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Upper management being held accountable at LANL? Nah, that hardly ever happens unless some outside agency discovers massive screw-ups.
15 comments:
The breakdown of the fine is a follows
LANL (LANS LLC) = $36.6 million
WIPP = $17.7 million
Let's see that about $250K for average staff cost translates to about 146 staff to terminate at LANL.
"Following the money with simple arithmetic...problem solved!" McMillan
VSP!!
There will never be another VSP.
The LLC managers have learned that it's faster and cheaper just to quickly fire people and threaten a long, drawn-out legal attack if they get any signs of blow-back.
True. LANS has realized that there is no negative side to just routinely firing people they don't need around. Reasons vary, but they are always tied legally to some "programmatic" funding problem. No issues occur since the stunned victims just walk out the door and are never heard from again, in ones and twos. If you don't know it is already happening in your organization, you are not paying attention.
Let's see that about $250K for average staff cost translates to about 146 staff to terminate at LANL.
Is the laboratory being fined, or its M&O contractor? If the latter, LLNS has to eat it out of past and/or future performance fees. That wouldn't impact LANL budget or headcount.
Is the laboratory being fined, or its M&O contractor?
December 8, 2014 at 8:56 PM
You really don't get it, after all these years. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE!! The "laboratory" does not exist as an entity. It is a bunch of buildings and facilities owned by DOE/NNSA and operated by LANS. The "M&O contractor," i.e., LANS, is the only legal entity that exists at LANL. You should get over the idea that there is a "laboratory" separate from LANS. There isn't.
"...The LLC managers have learned that it's faster and cheaper just to quickly fire people and threaten a long, drawn-out legal attack if they get any signs of blow-back..."
The LLC mangers haven't just learned it, but it has blossomed with LANSLLNS. This has been the modus operandi for decades and is funded by DOE/NNSA as operational line items. The fork in the funding road for the contractor occurs when employees win their legal battle. Therefore the LANSLLNS strategy is to either get cases dismissed, or drag them on slow at DOE's and the taxpayers expense. In many cases DOE becomes a willful legal codefendant with LANSLLNS against the employee, while simultaneously offering DOE established "whistleblower" protections to, in some cases, the very same contractor employee (?).
It is the legal defense information barrier that gives LANSLLNS the upper hand, not their employment practices. When these LLC managers are required to actually testify, their arguments often fall apart. The LANSLLNS legal team task is to prevent the process from ever reaching this critical juncture.
Anonymous said...
There will never be another VSP.
The LLC managers have learned that it's faster and cheaper just to quickly fire people and threaten a long, drawn-out legal attack if they get any signs of blow-back.
December 8, 2014 at 7:47 PM
Anonymous Anonymous said...
True. LANS has realized that there is no negative side to just routinely firing people they don't need around. Reasons vary, but they are always tied legally to some "programmatic" funding problem. No issues occur since the stunned victims just walk out the door and are never heard from again, in ones and twos. If you don't know it is already happening in your organization, you are not paying attention.
December 8, 2014 at 8:38 PM
Indeed. But onesies and twosies won't get the job done fast enough to solve this 120-150 FTE problem for FY15, which being levied on DOE is sure to come out of operating. If not a VSP, then a good old-fashioned blood-letting RIF!
I predict that Charlie McMillan will be the next person terminated at LANL. DOE/NNSA will demand it.
Given the fact that even NM's two Senators have come out in shock over the recent documentation showing mishandling of nuclear waste - and it matters little who uncovered this information, the fact is it should not have occurred with proper executive management in place - Charlie's days as Director at LANL are numbered.
Don't cry for Charlie, though, as I'm pretty sure his bank account is well stocked and he'll retire with a fantastic pension. He'll probably try to even swing a sweet, lucrative "no-bid" contract with the LLCs once he thinks the coast is clear and no one is looking! Hey, those fine Italian suits and Gucci loafers are expensive and a little extra cash on the side will help him swing a luxurious 3rd vacation home in a gated community next to Yellowstone... right next to Riley Bechtel's spread.
Hey, those fine Italian suits and Gucci loafers are expensive and a little extra cash on the side will help him swing a luxurious 3rd vacation home in a gated community next to Yellowstone... right next to Riley Bechtel's spread.
December 9, 2014 at 4:00 PM
Don't forget the Laker "benchside" season tickets that Norm Pattiz will provide to him. You'll start seeing Charlie next to Beyonce and Jay-Z. You knaw i'm sayin?
Indeed. But onesies and twosies won't get the job done fast enough to solve this 120-150 FTE problem for FY15, which being levied on DOE is sure to come out of operating. If not a VSP, then a good old-fashioned blood-letting RIF!
December 9, 2014 at 3:57 PM
I'm starting to hear complaints from upper LANS Management that it's coming out of their hide (award fees and bonuses). Udall also stated that he needs to see more "punishment" of the guilty at LANL (you know the one's McMillan is hiding in his office). I hope LANS Managers see the same lump of coal they have been giving me for 8-years. An eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth brother.
Charlie's duration was just about what was predicted by several posters when he was named. He needed three or four years in the chair to claim his title as the 10 million dollar man, and he made it to the finish line. His tenure was always going to be in this time frame, however what remained unknown was the particular event that would trigger his departure as a wealthy retiree.
Probably time to chop the head off the LANS snake, don't you think Obama ! Maybe some waterboarding would help get some answers. Oops....
Obama never heard of LANS and would not care about it if he did.
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