I just received my annual TCP-1 letter from LLNS and a summary of the LLNS Pension Plan. Looked in pretty good shape in 2013. About 35% overfunded (funding target attainment percentage = 134.92%). This was a decrease from 2012 where it was 51% overfunded (funding target attainment percentage = 151.59%). They did note that the 2012 change in the law on how liabilities are calculated using interest rates improved the plan's position. Without the change the funding target attainment percentages would have been 118% (2012) and 105% (2013). 2013 assets = $2,057,866,902 2013 liabilities = $1,525,162,784 vs 2012 assets = $1,844,924,947 2012 liabilities = $1,217,043,150 It was also noted that a slightly different calculation method ("fair market value") designed to show a clearer picture of the plan' status as December 31, 2013 had; Assets = $2,403,098,433 Liabilities = $2,068,984,256 Funding ratio = 116.15% Its a closed plan with 3,781 participants. Of that number, 3,151 wer...
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Also not surprised that Congress does nothing to fix or kill NNSA.
"Semi-autonomy" within DOE has been a complete confusing mess. Just bring back the Office of Defense Programs.
1. Move the weapons work to DOD
2. Make the lab employees federal employees
3. Move the EM work to EPA
4. Focus DOE on energy
2. Federal nuclear weapons researchers? Hah.
3. It will still be done by the same contractors as now.
4. Energy development requires very little basic research.
April 19, 2015 at 1:03 PM
Agree, but... Recall that when NNSA was created, the security functions for the nuclear weapon enterprise were removed from DOE and placed in NNSA ("Office of Defense Nuclear Security"). Over the years, this NNSA security function has become bloated, insular, massively bureaucratic, and generally incompetent. Also, they are now direct-funded, unlike the DOE security function in the pre-NNSA days of DP. That will be a very difficult knot to unravel.
1. Move the weapons work to DOD
2. Make the lab employees federal employees
3. Move the EM work to EPA
4. Focus DOE on energy
April 18, 2015 at 10:29 AM
Both 1 and 2 are good ideas.
Who cares about 3 or 4?
1. Move the weapons work to DOD
2. Make the lab employees federal employees
3. Move the EM work to EPA
4. Focus DOE on energy
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IMHO after 25 years at LLNL and the NWC...
1. Nuclear weapons research, science, and engineering (LLNL, LANL, SNL) should stay in DOE. Production and testing (Pantex, Y-12, NTS, KCP) could go to DOD.
2. Nope. Federal civil service system is a mess. Hiring is controlled by Congress appropriation committees, and firing nearly impossible (look at the Secret Service screw ups.
3. EPA will just contract out the cleanup work, which is what happens at DOE sites anyway.
4. DOE is focused on energy. However, "national labs" should focus on a wide array of national science issues - especially those involving high cost, large scale basic research efforts that have no immediate commercial return on investments. I actually believe that DOE should be expanded into the Dept of Science.
April 20, 2015 at 11:39 AM
This sums it up nicely as to why the nuclear weapons enterprise rarely has had, and (based on track record to date) is not likely to have, a good home in DOE.
One of the many proposals put forward over the years to address the situation was to create a new Cabinet level 'Department of Nuclear Security.' This might work out if it was structured along the lines of the Department of the Army or Navy, since the Secretary of one of those Departments has significant authority over how it operates.