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January 2, 2003

LANL Changes Draw Congressional Reaction

The Associated Press
   The management changes at Los Alamos National Laboratory were needed to restore public confidence in the lab and bolster employee morale, say members of New Mexico's congressional delegation.
    "I think making some management changes at the lab is appropriate," Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said Thursday following the resignation of John Browne as lab director.
    "I don't know that this one was particularly necessary," Bingaman said.
    "The work performed at LANL on a daily basis is very important to the country, and it is counterproductive and bad for the scientists' morale to have the lab under constant fire," he said.
    Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said he understood the reasons behind Browne's resignation.
    "I recognize that it has become increasingly difficult for the laboratory management to concentrate on its very important national security missions with recent problems and allegations," he said. "These issues have become a considerable distraction."
    Browne's "resignation creates an opportunity for the Department of Energy and the University of California to review the relationship between the university and Los Alamos National Laboratory," Domenici said.
    The university runs the lab for the DOE.
    "The persistent management missteps at Los Alamos concern us all, not the least the men and women at LANL committed to carrying out some of the most critical missions in our nation's defense and security complex," Domenici said.
    Domenici will become chairman this month of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Bingaman is the top Democrat on the committee. Domenici also is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Bingaman is on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
    Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., whose district includes the lab, said the personnel changes "are a step in the right direction, but are not a panacea for the problems that have been exposed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in recent months."
    "These changes will hopefully begin the process of rebuilding the trust that has been broken by the shocking allegations," he said. "Clearly, the storm clouds were gathering and something had to be done."
    Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., said she hoped the management changes announced Thursday "will help move the lab beyond recent difficulties."
    "We have very talented people at LANL, and they need to focus on great science and the stewardship of nuclear weapons," she said.
    Wilson is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of several committees investigating allegations of purchase card fraud, theft and cover-up at the lab. She also is a member of the House Armed Services Committee.