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...
Comments
It is all going to LANL, everyone knows this. What they do not know is what will this mean for
the overall LANL mission. The rational thing to do and one that could actually meet the goal of 80 pits per year is to split the lab in a pit facility and a science lab. The science part of the lab will only create delays and potential problems. For example if there is a computer breach in the science part of the lab there will be a institution wide panic leading to all operations slowing done. It of course will work the other way was well where once there is one incident with the pit part the whole lab will have to put on stand down. It would sort of be like combing Intel and the mines the dig the rare earths together. If there is a mine safety issue than you do not stand down the software part of the company.
This is the problem with LANL is that it is a very rigid system without any robustness, if something goes wrong anywhere in the system the entire system reacts no matter how utterly irrational the the actions are. After the reaction, the blame is than put on something that had nothing to do with the original incident. In order for managers to be protected someone needs to be blamed and it is always scientists. So when a forklift drops a box in the pit production
area cowboy scientists will be blamed. When an electrical problem occurs in Admin building scientists will be blamed.
Of course the other option is simply to make LANL only a pit production facility. In that case what happens when things still go wrong but there are no scientists left to blame?
Let’s not forget that 2020 is an election and the state of Lyndsey Graham has a big red democratic bullseye on it! We need to take politics out of the equation if we want to be safe and secure as a nation.
Agreed by why not just move the science aspects of LANL elsewhere? That can be done anywhere,
pit production on the other hand may only be feasible at LANL. Sorry but it is not going to happen at SRS, from what I can tell they don't even want it. New Mexico on the other hand would love pit production.
You seem to think that you have some part in these decisions. You don't. Neither do "we." You can pontificate all you want, but you must understand no one who is actually making decisions cares what you think. Get over yourself.
5/07/2019 5:15 PM
Wow, way to address the point the poster made. You have keen understanding of how to use logic to debate.
It's all in the attitude. I have no problem with someone arguing what LANL management or DOE/NNSA overseers should do, but to couch it as if he is involved in the process in any way is presumptuous and juvenile. There is no general public "we" when it comes to national security decisions. Elected representatives with appropriate clearances and similarly cleared government and contractor employees decide these things, not "we." WE live in a representative republic, not a democracy.
"The state of South Carolina is VERY interested in additional mission at SRS."
That depends on your definition of "very" and "interested" not to mention SRS "mission".
Just so long as it doesn't involve plutonium. Our wonderful Senator Lindsay Graham will send that nasty stuff to Nevada or New Mexico.
5/27/2019 5:26 PM
Dude, we now know that it is the earth's rotation !