NYT: Safety (& env., as well as security) Concern in Los Alamos Shutdown

[DeepModem Mom]

Safety a Concern in Shutdown of the Operations at Los Alamos
By KENNETH CHANG

Published: July 18, 2004


A series of safety accidents, not just security lapses, prompted the director of Los Alamos National Laboratory to halt nearly all operations there on Friday.

Los Alamos, one of the nation's two nuclear weapons laboratories, is under heavy criticism because of the disappearance on July 7 of two computer data storage devices containing classified information from its weapons physics division.

But, in broadening a shutdown of classified work on Thursday to include the entire laboratory on Friday, G. Peter Nanos, the laboratory's director, cited safety and environmental concerns as well as security issues.

"In no case will I authorize a restart until I'm absolutely convinced that each organization will not risk further compromise of safety, security and environment," Mr. Nanos wrote in a memorandum to employees on Friday.

The latest injury occurred Wednesday, two days before the shutdown, when a 20-year-old woman suffered eye damage from a laser beam. The woman, a student intern who was not identified, had just finished working on a series of experiments involving a pulsed ultraviolet laser, but lingered in the laboratory....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/18/national/18labs.html

[tlcandie]

1. Is this because the DoD is pushing them to get this done?

These new inventions to be made combat ready?

[Don_G]

2. It Sounds Like Something Is Going On There

But with the secrecy of ShrubCo, it's difficult to know exactly what is happening.

I'm not a big fan of conspiracy theories, but I would like to know what's up.

[lovuian]

3. Where is Our security!!!

:argh:

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Where, indeed, lovuian? And welcome to DU --