nuclear-news

“They hardly ever do that,” Los Alamos Study Group Executive Director Greg Mello said of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s response to LANL’s violation.

The NNSA oversees LANL and the other government facilities responsible for country’s nuclear arsenal.

“The NNSA said it was serious, and the fact that they put out a press release at all means they do think that,” Mello said. “They’re tired of screw-ups at Los Alamos.”

NNSA’s investigation is about why LANL failed to follow proper procedures when shipping “special nuclear material” to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Savannah River National Laboratory……..

LANL’s most recent safety violation has also drawn criticism from New Mexico’s congressional delegation.

“The alleged violations of nuclear material shipping regulations at LANL, if true, are deeply concerning,” State Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, (D-NM) said. “The safety of the workers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and in the Los Alamos community must be paramount. LANL has rigorous protocols that govern the shipping of nuclear material, and if something in this process failed or needs improvement we must correct the problem immediately. I have asked for a full briefing from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) as soon as possible to better understand the situation and what is being done to ensure the safety and security of nuclear material at the lab.”http://www.lamonitor.com/content/lanl-shipment-investigation-draws-reactions