The University of California Board of Regents approved the general terms for the proposed settlement. The detailed language of the settlement will be finalized in the near future.
The settlement will include a payment of $13 million to the family of Efren Martinez, a contract employee who was operating a jackhammer that struck a buried 13,200-volt electrical power cable. The incident occurred Jan. 17, 1996.
"No amount of money can make up for the loss of a husband and a father to the Martinez family," Browne said.
Martinez's accident and other incidents in recent years were a call for the Laboratory "to further strengthen our commitment to safety," Browne said. "This was a tragic accident. We have taken steps to help make sure that no other serious accidents happen here in the future."
The Laboratory has expanded its previous safety program into an "integrated safety management system" that builds considerations of safety into every aspect of Laboratory activities, from the worker level on up to top management. Various other activities under way also try to maintain a continual emphasis on safety.
The proposed settlement of the Martinez lawsuit does not indicate any wrongdoing on the part of the Laboratory.
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 the Washington Division of URS 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.