Laboratory personnel discovered the tampering while performing routine maintenance activities. The equipment is not located within Laboratory security areas. Laboratory investigators believe the equipment may have been intentionally damaged. The investigation will be turned over to law enforcement agencies.
"We want to catch whoever has done this and, personally, I hope he or she goes to jail," said Interim Director Pete Nanos. "Whoever has done this is impeding our ability to protect the environment."
The damaged equipment does not affect the remainder of the Laboratory's extensive environmental monitoring system and will not affect the Laboratory's ability to adequately safeguard the public or the environment and comply with environmental regulations.
The Laboratory is in the process of checking other monitoring equipment to ensure that it has not been damaged or disabled and is developing systems to safeguard such property from harm.
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.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington Group International for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national 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 global security concerns.