In response to the news on Friday (June 8) that the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration awarded the contract to run the Los Alamos National Laboratory to Triad National Security, a team composed of the University of California, Texas A&M and Battelle, Purdue President Mitch Daniels issued the following statement:
“While we are disappointed to have not been selected, it was a tremendous privilege to be among the strong group of finalists competing to manage Los Alamos National Laboratory. The management of Los Alamos is a solemn responsibility for U.S. national security and the protection of our citizens, and we wish the very best to those involved in that essential mission.”
https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/releases/2018/Q2/los-alamos-national-lab-bid-awarded-to-triad-national-security.html
Comments
The blog has been kind slow so lets stir the pot. So what are the odds there will be a protest, how many teams and the odds of it being overturned?
Odds Bechtel-Purdue.
This would be the highest bet, Bechtel may think that by causing some problems with NNSA that they can get some kind of under the table cash grab to go away. Odds of protest 25% odds of overturned 5%. Tomas may also want to do what he can to try and screw NNSA since they dumped him. I am sure he was on the team. They 5% chance they would win would depend on who they bribe.
U-Texas, I think the odds are low on this maybe 5% they would protest.
Jacobs-New Mexico, maybe 10% they would protest.
So my guess is that if there is a protest it will be from the Bechtel team, so perhaps we are not out of the woods yet. The questions is what will be the grounds for the protest. They could
say prior record but UC is 1/3 of the team while Bechtel would have been 2/3-1/2. The other is that like it or not UC probably had a better team and bid. I think NNSA really wanted Bechtel out of LANL.
I know that many Bechtel people at LANL are not happy with the outcome.