Federal investigators say the National Nuclear Security Administration has been slow to deal with fire safety problems at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The failure to correct fire protection deficiencies increased the risk of injury or loss of life. Further, there are increased risks associated with fire-related events, such as the release of hazardous or radiological material. If such an event were to occur, not only would the safety and health of employees and the public be impacted but the environment could be damaged as well. 

Jim Streit, the lab's fire protection division leader, acknowledged in an interview this afternoon that problems identified in 2006 had been slow to be fixed, but said substantial progress has been made in dealing with the highest risk items on the list.