Fire rehabilitation projects to end

Contact: James Rickman, jamesr@lanl.gov, (505) 665-9203 (03-006)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Jan.17, 2003 -- The Laboratory today announced that work on several post-fire rehabilitation projects has been suspended pending further budget review by the U.S. Department of Energy. Approximately $75 million of expenditures are affected by this review.

The Laboratory today notified subcontractors who had been engaged in these projects of the news. Laboratory officials estimate that 200 to 250 subcontract employees will be affected by the work stoppages.

In the wake of the Cerro Grande Fire, Congress appropriated nearly $342 million for fire rehabilitation activities at the Laboratory. To date, about $250 million has been spent on reconstruction of damaged facilities, forest-thinning projects, burned-area rehabilitation, construction of new facilities and infrastructure upgrades. The Cerro Grande Fire Rehabilitation Project was scheduled to end in September 2004.

The CGRP has received recognition as a model project because of its successful implementation, attention to project management principles, and significant coordination between Pueblos and Northern New Mexico small businesses.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy and works in partnership with NNSA's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories to support NNSA in its mission.

Los Alamos enhances global security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health and national security concerns.