Protest lodged over lab contract

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jan 17, 2007 | by Sam RichardsSTAFF

LIVERMORE -- A team of organizations that includes a Livermore- based watchdog group filed a formal protest Tuesday with the U.S. Department of Energy, claiming "improper and biased handling" of their bid to manage Lawrence Livermore Laboratory.

The proposal was submitted by GREEN LLC, led by the weapons-lab watchdog groups Livermore-based Tri-Valley Citizens Against a Radioactive Environment and Nuclear Watch of New Mexico. They claim their bid, was rejected without proper consideration by DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration on grounds that were "factually incorrect, unsubstantiated, biased and prejudicial, contrary to regulations and/or easily corrected."

Also submitting bids to operate the Livermore lab were teams led by the University of California and Bechtel National, and another led by defense contractor Northrop Grumman.

The GREEN LLC group asserts its operations bid was not treated the same as the other two bids, and that instead NNSA officials "acted in a biased and prejudicial manner" in dismissing its proposal.

The GREEN LLC group seeks reinstatement as an active competitor for the lab's management contract, as well as suspension of the NNSA's procurement process until the GREEN LLC group is restored as an equal bidder.

Marylia Kelley, executive director of Tri-Valley CAREs, said in October that her group never expected the Energy Department to choose GREEN LLC's bid, but she said the bid was strong.

"It's not that our bid isn't taken seriously, but there's a philosophical and political difference of opinion with the (NNSA) as to the mission of the lab," Kelley said.

NNSA spokespeople in Livermore could not be reached for comment late Tuesday afternoon about the protest.

A new operating contract for Lawrence Livermore is expected to be awarded this year.