Bill would oust UC at Los Alamos

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jul 25, 2004 | by Erin Emery - DENVER POST

U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, a member of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, has introduced legislation asking that the University of California end its role as manager of operations at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Earlier this month, officials at the lab where the atomic bomb was invented learned that two portable drives full of classified information were missing. Allard said the information on the disks is classified and "there could be some things that are top secret. They don't entirely know."

"We seem to have a cultural problem there in Los Alamos," said Allard, R-Colo. Under his legislation, he said, "no longer would the University of California be the manager for Los Alamos."

Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said in a statement Friday: "I certainly understand why Sen. Allard is so frustrated. New Mexicans should know that Sen. Wayne Allard is the chairman of the Armed Services subcommittee on strategic forces, which has responsibility for the National Nuclear Security Administration. He is well informed on these issues.

"On the other hand, a competition is under way to select a new operator for the laboratory, and it is absolutely inappropriate to legislate who that new operator may or may not be. A process is in place to select the best qualified contractor, and that process must be allowed to proceed."

A Web site for the National Nuclear Security Administration shows that two of the 13 companies that are interested in operating Los Alamos have Colorado ties and three of four companies with interest in running the small-business side of the operation also have Colorado ties.

Chris Harrington, spokesman for the University of California, said he agreed with Domenici. He had no further comment.

The director of the Los Alamos lab took the unusual step on Friday of bringing all lab activities to a standstill.

Allard said he believes "that's a step in the right direction. I think it has to be done. They have to put everything at a standstill so they can analyze and figure out what is happening to these disks that have turned up missing."

Allard said he's concerned about the "repetitive" history of security breaches at the lab.

In 2000, nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee pleaded guilty to one count of copying classified data onto computer tapes without authorization.

"There have to be some real consequences if we have an agency that fails to measure up to the expectations of the Senate and Congress. ... Los Alamos is the one laboratory that we seem to persistently have a problem," Allard said.

"I'm irritated at the very least, and very disappointed, and something needs to happen at Los Alamos.