Plans call for access controls, not road closures
Based on the May 2003 Design Basis Threat (DBT) from the Department of Energy and input from Los Alamos County community leaders and officials, the Laboratory and the Nartional Nuclear Security Administration site office plan to seek funding for a revised Security Perimeter Project in fiscal year 2005.
The revised project, projected to cost approximately $20 million, calls for additional vehicular access-control infrastructure on Diamond Drive, on the Laboratory side of the Los Alamos Canyon bridge and at the old East Gate intersection of NM 4 and NM 501. The access-control facilities would not constitute a road closure, but rather would provide Laboratory security officials with the ability to counter the existing threat from vehicle bombs by adding access controls.
"As we understand the threat today, we certainly have no intention of permanently closing any more roads," said Dennis Martinez, deputy director of the Los Alamos Site Office. "Based on community input, we plan to ask for funding for a revised plan that is much more community-friendly and still meets the needs of the new DBT."
The plan to add access controls is not in response to any specific threat, according to the Security and Safeguards (S) Division. "The purpose of this plan is to give us the ability to respond to a threat, should one arise," said Kevin Leifheit, S Division deputy leader. "We have high confidence that this plan gives us what we need in terms of security, while still meeting the needs of the community. It's probably the best compromise I've seen," he said.
The main Technical Area 3 access-control station would most likely be configured so that there would be five to six inbound lanes of traffic and three to four outbound lanes in order to achieve the required through-put necessary for handling the high volume times of day, said Leifheit. Large trucks or other delivery-type vehicles would have a separate checkpoint. The access-control station at West Gate would be smaller but engineered to handle the anticipated traffic levels.
The plan also includes improving the now dirt road that connects West Road to Camp May Road, thus providing the community with direct access to the ski hill area without the need to pass through the Laboratory's access-control points.
"This plan still allows anyone to pass through the area," said Leifheit. "At SECON 3 guards at the checkpoints will make visual inspections and wave cars through as quickly as possible. At SECON 2 there may be some sort of positive identification check, though the details have not been worked out."
Access on Pajarito Road, now limited to badge holders only, will not change under the new plan.
