Who are Scooby and Doobydew?

Have you ever wondered if Scooby and Doobydew are people you know? Who is behind them?

To find out,  visit the website on 1/1/16!

Merry Christmas!

NM Tax structure depends on for profit LANL operation

Now that the local politicians have tasted tax riches, there is slim to no chance that the contract will be allowed to go to a nonprofit operator.


http://www.dchieftain.com/news/state/up-for-bid-nuke-lab-contract-could-affect-tax-revenues/article_4254145e-8273-5bc5-bbac-f3b1d48f6e04.html

LANL Reports More Safety Lapses at Waste Sites

By Rebecca Moss, The New Mexican

Thousands of mislabeled waste containers, missing safety equipment and a broken emergency alarm system were among the more than 400 hazardous waste permit violations that Los Alamos National Laboratory listed in a report to the state this week.

The report, submitted annually to the Waste Management Bureau of the New Mexico Environment Department, largely characterized the violations as “inconsistencies” in record-keeping and labeling. However, it is the latest in a series of reports revealing a culture of negligence and lax safety protocols at the lab and follows a February 2014 radiation leak that shut down the nuclear waste storage facility in Southern New Mexico after a mislabeled and mishandled LANL drum burst there.

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/lanl-reports-more-safety-lapses-at-waste-sites/article_d0cd5f20-c168-5e7d-b4f4-a69a7299d9a7.html

December 25, 2015 at 2:30 AM

COMMENT:

Anonymous:

"Culture". You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

LLNL's 2015 performance earns another contact award term

LLNL's 2015 performance earns another contact award term
12/18/2015

The Lab's ability to deliver on its science and technology missions has resulted in excellent marks in the fiscal year 2015 Performance Evaluation Plan.

The Livermore Field Office (LFO) recently released the assessment, which outlines six performance objectives for the period of Oct. 1, 2014 through Sept. 30, 2015.

The Laboratory received four ratings of "excellent" and two ratings of "very good," resulting in an award of more than 93 percent of the possible fee, or almost $38 million. The percentage total ranks among the highest performance since Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS) assumed management of the Laboratory for the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration in 2007. In addition, LLNS received another one-year award term to manage the Laboratory for NNSA, which extends the current contract to Sept. 30, 2020.

"These ratings reflect the Lab's strong capabilities in applying science and technology to meet critical national security needs," said Director Bill Goldstein. "I'm very proud to see our work recognized by NNSA."

Among the accomplishments cited by LFO:

* Continued improvements to NIF, resulting in a significant increase in shots, including plutonium shots, and major contributions to high energy density science in support of stockpile stewardship.
* Completion of the W80-4 Life Extension Program's "Phase 6/1 Concept Assessment" and initiation of Phase 6.2.
* Advancements in additive manufacturing, including fabricating the first classified 3D multilayer demonstration object, synthesizing a new explosive molecule and completing the first ever manufacturing of 21-6-9 stainless steel.
* Supporting four key Russian nuclear security engagements, as well as nuclear security best practices engagement with China, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and North Africa.
* Supporting follow-on activities from the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty large-scale on-site inspection Integrated Field Exercise 2014.
* Performing high-quality analysis of sources for the uranium database project and preparing for and delivering verification training to IAEA inspectors.
* Receiving several awards for outstanding scientific and engineering research and expanding the number of scientific and technical publications.
* Developing an "uncrackable" code for nuclear weapons.
* Maintaining effective and efficient quality, security and environment, safety and health programs, as well as achieving an excellent record of safety for the fiscal year.
* Demonstrating strategic leadership through its participation and key role in numerous enterprise initiatives, councils, working groups and collaborations that addressed issues and led to performance improvements.

"These are tremendous accomplishments for our Laboratory, and I congratulate everyone here for the work they do every day to contribute to the nation's security and well-being," Goldstein said.

Employee morale

Is employee morale improving, getting worse, or stabilizing at LANS and LLNS?

http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/The-Root-Causes-of-Low-Employee-Morale.aspx

Why is the weapons complex still under DOE?

"A prior Office of Inspector General report ... found that planning and execution of that project was not effective and resulted in a system that did not meet pre-established goals and objectives. In addition, a prior Government Accountability Office report identified NNSA project management as an area of high risk for fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement.

These issues were attributable, in part, to ineffective project planning practices related to the development and implementation of the 2NV initiative. For instance, essential components of a well-developed project management approach, such as charters, business cases, alternatives analyses, and implementation schedules, were often inadequate, outdated, or had not been developed in a timely manner. In addition, monitoring and oversight activities were not always sufficient to ensure success and hold project managers accountable for delivering the project within cost, scope, and schedule."

http://energy.gov/ig/downloads/audit-report-doe-oig-16-05

First news on fee money sent to LANL

"The latest performance review calls for docking LANS $7.7 million in incentive fees for the May incident at an electrical power substation that left one worker hospitalized for more than a month with burns over 30 percent of his body, and for potential contamination stemming from the handling of highly enriched uranium at a Nevada facility twice in 2014."

http://www.abqjournal.com/694829/news/accidents-contribute-to-loss-of-contract-for-lanl-operator.html