LANL leadership merits harsh evaluation in the LANS 2014 performance evaluation report.
"During the performance period the Loratory was operationally, reputationally, and financially impacted by several issues. Deficiencies in regulatory compliance and in the physical management of transuranic waste streams contributed to or resulted in the closure of the only waste repository serving the Department of Energy. The impacts include the diversion of key staff from mission work, huge financial costs to the Department of Energy that are still accumulating, failure to meet environmental commitments made to the State of New Mexico, damage to an important relationship with a key state regulatory body, broad adverse economic impacts associated with the suspension of normal operations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Project, and a degredation of public confidence in the conduct of nuclear and high hazard operations at the Laboratory.
Throughout the performance period, nuclear operations were suspended at most plutonium-related production and research facilities at the Laboratory. NNSA appreciates the Laboratory’s 2013 decision to cease operations to address longstanding, documented concerns with Criticality Safety and Formality of Operations, but the Laboratory’s application of resources for re-starting resulted in a performance year in which the workforce and facilities did not significantly contribute to productive programmatic use.
During the performance year, there were instances of ethical lapses involving senior Laboratory staff, as was the case in the previous performance year. The Laboratory continued to experience challenges in CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
and in deploying and exercising best industry practices to promote construction management success, including the Earned Value Management System. While there were significant accomplishments during the reporting period, the impact and gravity of documented shortcomings overwhelm those accomplishments and reflect a negative trend in leadership performance; constituting performance that is below expectations."http://nnsa.energy.gov/sites/default/files/nnsa/inlinefiles/FY%202014%20LANS%20LLC%20PER%20releasable.pdf
Comments
Instances = more than one
Lapses = more than one
'...as was the case the previous year.' = this is not a new failing, and was also brought to attention last year
"Throughout the performance period, nuclear operations were suspended at most plutonium-related production and research facilities at the Laboratory. NNSA appreciates the Laboratory’s 2013 decision to cease operations to address longstanding, documented concerns with Criticality Safety and Formality of Operations, but the Laboratory’s application of resources for re-starting resulted in a performance year in which the workforce and facilities did not significantly contribute to productive programmatic use."
Really! World Class Bechtel International is "experiencing" challenges in construction management at LANL. As Bill Walton would say, "unbelievable" this is a "disgrace".
January 17, 2015 at 6:27 PM
Don't forget the zero (i.e. nul, leng, nol, noa, cero, nulita, etc.) that LANS received in Operations and Infrastructure. I mean, this is a "take home" exam guys! All you had to do was "show up" to work and get 10%.
January 16, 2015 at 11:29 AM
Oh, McMillan's one mission is still in place: Follow the money!
January 18, 2015 at 2:05 PM
Probably because LLNL has no weapons materials.
January 18, 2015 at 3:35 PM
Well now that's looking more and more like a mistake.
This is just pure BS. Sorry not going to fly.
January 17, 2015 at 6:27 PM
Correction: LANL earned that very poor performance appraisal. It was no 'gift' from any NNSA official.
January 18, 2015 at 7:25 PM
You may be right. That particular issue will find its way into legal proceedings and congressional testimony.
It has become the fuel for conflict. Now unavoidable.
January 17, 2015 at 6:27 PM
It's no wonder we got an F in Engineering at Los Alamos. Engineering leadership at LANL is non-existant. Look at the leadership here: Girrens, Associate Director Engineering, Goen, ES-Division Director, Benner, Associate Director Weapons. This guys are not doing anything to promote Engineering at Los Alamos. Our only hope is that these worthless folks are "tossed out" in the next contract.
Later in the report is this statement: "The Laboratory experienced several ethical lapses involving senior management staff."
January 16, 2015 at 7:13 PM
You must conclude that the deliberate choice of "several" in this context is indicative of an unethical culture in, and close by, the Director's office. There are many losers from this culture, including LANL scientists and the US taxpayer. Likewise, there are some winners as well. Obvious ones include Charlie and the PAD/AD cohort, while more important - and less overt - ones include Russia, China, Iran, NK, and other groups opposed to the American view of democracy.