Livermore Lab plans encounter resistance

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Mar 21, 2008 | by Betsy Mason

Plans to overhaul the nuclear weapons complex were met by resistance from the public at a hearing in Livermore on Wednesday.

The Department of Energy presented its proposal to consolidate and streamline nuclear weapons work to about 100 people as part of a 90-day public comment period which ends April 10.

More than 50 people signed up to make oral comments after the presentation, the majority of whom expressed opposition to nuclear weapons.

"Let's not be fooled into an ongoing program to rebuild, continue and extend nuclear weapons," said Phyllis Olin of the Western States Legal Foundation. "This is really the latest label for ongoing work rebuilding nuclear weapons, research facilities and manufacturing plants."

Few of the comments addressed specifics of the DOE's plan, such as reducing the work force supporting nuclear weapons by 20 to 30 percent, closing about 600 buildings or structures at eight sites across the country including Lawrence Livermore and Sandia/ California national laboratories, and moving plutonium out of Livermore by 2012.

"Our complex is too large, costs too much to operate, and much of our nuclear material is located at many different DOE sites across the country, which makes it costly to secure," Ted Wycka of the DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration said in his presentation preceding the public comments.

"We want to change this."

Wycka acknowledged that maintaining the capability to design, develop, certify and produce weapons as needed to support national security policy is potentially the most controversial aspect of NNSA's mission.

"But I hope you will understand that NNSA cannot pick and choose which national security requirements to carry out," he said.

But most people who spoke at the meeting argued against the need for nuclear weapons and criticized plans separate from the consolidation plan to update the weapons stockpile with a newly designed weapon called the reliable replacement warhead.

Congress cut funding for the RRW for this year, but next year's budget includes another request for $30 million.

"Rather than a deterrent, this is a provocative statement by our administration," said Leah Abraham of Peace Action West. "It will engender distrust with our allies and provoke our enemies to take similar actions."

Several local lawmakers spoke in support of the NNSA's plan, but worried about the impact of a smaller work force on their communities.

"I welcome the plans for their consolidation. I think they are being very wise," said Livermore City Councilwoman Marj Leider. But she also said she hoped the laboratories would realize "they can contribute to the city more as far as the schools and recreation and our city infrastructure.

"I hope when the change comes about they will think about this kind of thing."

Livermore Lab director George Miller spoke in support of the consolidation plan as well. About a quarter of the audience held up red signs saying "No," but a similar number applauded his comments.

"It has been clear for some time that the nation has needed a blueprint for the future of the nation's nuclear weapons complex that takes into account the circumstances that have changed since the end of the Cold War," he said.

"I am pleased that Lawrence Livermore has been named as a center of excellence for nuclear design and engineering, supercomputing and for high explosive research and development."

Betsy Mason covers science and the national laboratories. Contact her at 925-952-5026 or bmason@bayareanewsgroup.com.