In a major setback to the University of California, U.S. Energy
Secretary Spencer Abraham announced Wednesday that he will invite
competition for the contract to manage Los Alamos National
Laboratory.
Abraham cited “widespread” management problems at
the lab to explain why there will be open bidding after the current
contract expires in September 2005.
The UC has managed the lab without competition since it was
formed in 1943 to create the world’s first atomic bomb, but
numerous allegations of fraud, improper spending, poor security and
a management cover-up at the lab emerged late last year.
“The university bears responsibility for the systematic
management failures that came to light in 2002,” Abraham said
in a statement.
Abraham praised “the vigorous action the university has
taken” to solve the problems at Los Alamos. This, along with
possible disruptions at the lab, is why the current contract will
not be cut short.
He also urged the UC to bid for the Los Alamos contract in the
future.
The UC Board of Regents will have the final say about whether
the university will make a bid, and they have not yet decided. But
UC President Richard Atkinson recommended they should not give
up.
“My instinct continues to be to compete ““ and to
compete hard ““ in order to continue the university’s
stewardship of excellence in science and innovation,”
Atkinson said in a statement, repeating remarks he made earlier
this month at the lab’s 60th anniversary.
He is scheduled to testify before the House Energy and Commerce
Committee today.
Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin, R-La., and Investigations
Subcommittee Chair James Greenwood, R-Pa., both said they were
pleased with Abraham’s decision.
“For far too long, the management of this lab by the
University of California has operated with no accountability for
the problems that have occurred on its watch,” Tauzin and
Greenwood said in a joint statement.
“The idea that the UC is entitled to the contract by some
divine birthright is absurd,” they added.
Defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Batelle are considering
whether to bid for the lab contract. The University of Texas has
also been mentioned as a possible bidder.
If the UC loses the lab management contract, it would probably
hurt Los Alamos more than the university, said Steven Aftergood,
who follows the lab’s activities for the Federation of
American Scientists.
Los Alamos uses the university’s reputation to attract the
nation’s top scientists.
Without this connection, the lab could have trouble maintaining
the quality of its research programs.
“If they were to be taken over by a defense contractor,
that would be viewed by many at Los Alamos as a poor
substitute,” Aftergood said.
But the university would be able to overcome the effects of
losing the contract because its research is based on more than just
Los Alamos, he said.
Aftergood said Abraham surprised him by making the “right
decision,” and the university must fight for the contract and
prove it can address the security concerns.
“The UC would be a lot of people’s first choice if it can
step up and take responsibility for what’s been going
wrong,” Aftergood said.
Whoever ends up managing the lab after the current contract ends
will be responsible for maintaining and protecting part of the
United States’ nuclear weapons stockpile.
Security concerns have been a recurring issue at the lab in
recent years.
In 1999, lab scientist Wen Ho Lee spent nine months in jail
while under investigation for mishandling nuclear weapons
codes.
The next year, two computer hard drives with nuclear-related
material disappeared. They were later found behind a copy
machine.
Last year, multiple employees tried to buy items ““ ranging
from camping gear to barbeques to a Ford Mustang ““ using
government purchase cards.
In November, whistle-blowers leaked documents describing
millions of dollars in equipment found missing or stolen from the
lab, including computers and power supplies.
In response, the Department of Energy’s Inspector General
and the National Nuclear Security Administration began to
investigate business practices at Los Alamos.
They found a wide variety of problems, including improper and
unallowable purchases with government funds and an inability to
account for equipment.
The most recent report, released Monday, said the lab could not
account for all of its classified computers.
Atkinson said the university has worked hard to solve these
problems and will continue to try and resolve them.
“Continued UC management is in the absolute best interests
of the nation’s security,” Atkinson said.