DOE security system remarkably improved
Complex wide security policies, a series of tough audits and major increases in funding have brought security at Los Alamos and other Department of Energy facilities to a level that should inspire confidence in U.S. citizens, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson and his top security aides told national reporters at a news conference Tuesday.
"Today, the DOE security system has been remarkably improved," Richardson declared. "We can reassure America that its secrets are safe and secure."
Quoting counterintelligence experts serving on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, Richardson said the security infrastructure at the national laboratories used to be "big, Byzantine and bewildering."
Glenn Podonsky, who heads DOE's Office of Independent Oversight and Performance Assurance, said his teams have completed eight major security inspections, eight major cyber-security audits and four emergency-response inspections. He said the national laboratories and other DOE facilities showed "dramatic" changes over the course of the inspections.
The Laboratory, which went through exhaustive audits by Podonsky's team in August and again in December, has been rated fully satisfactory in every aspect of security, the highest rating obtainable. See the Sept. 21 Newsbulletin. A marginal rating in one area, unclassified computing, was upgraded to satisfactory by Podonsky in December.
Laboratory Director John Browne Tuesday issued a statement on the status of Laboratory security efforts.
Podonsky said all the DOE's security oversight functions were consolidated into his inspections and all the information his team obtained went to Richardson "unfiltered." The inspections resulted in quick improvements in security for foreign visitors, computer access and control of classified documents, he said.
"His message got through," Podonsky said of Richardson. "The attitudes at the laboratories changed ... As long as this new attitude is sustained, it will drive a robust program of security throughout the complex."
DOE security chief, retired Gen. Eugene Habiger said the lack of consistent security policies was to blame.
"No one person had been in charge of security for the entire Department of Energy," Habiger told reporters. He said he visited all major DOE sites within three months of taking on his new job in June of last year and was immediately struck by the need for clear, complex-wide policies.
Since those visits, DOE has developed 25 policy papers focusing on needed improvements and recently has sent security experts out to the labs and production facilities to make sure specific security improvements are implemented, Habiger said. By the end of the fiscal year, he expects to have "fine-tuned" the new policies and have solved all pending security policy issues.
In answer to a reporter's question, Habiger said he wasn't aware of any "flagrant" security violations among the 97 security incidents recorded in the DOE complex last year. However, he said at least one worker might be fired as a result of one of those incidents.
Habiger said he and his staff last year identified and have instituted or completed solutions for the following security issues around the DOE complex:
DOE counterintelligence chief Ed Curran, whom Richardson called "the foremost counterintelligence expert in the government," recalled that two years ago he told Congress that the DOE counterintelligence program failed to meet minimum standards. Today, he said, that program is as good as or better than any in the U.S. government.
Curran said DOE has implemented nearly all of 46 recommendations he submitted last November.
"We have a program that is in harmony with DOE and doesn't interfere with the mission," he said.
The counterintelligence budget has increased from $7 million last year to $38 million this year, Curran said, and he anticipates another boost to $45 million in 2001. The funds have allowed him to place into jobs within the DOE complex a total of 130 counterintelligence experts with an average of 25 years of experience.
The DOE has established a strong counterintelligence analysis program that will identify threats to DOE from foreign intelligence services, he said.
Curran's office also has
"We feel we have now much greater control and knowledge of foreign visitors to our national laboratories," Curran said.
--Jim Danneskiold
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Statement by Lab Director John Browne in response to DOE security news conference I am proud of the way everyone at Los Alamos accepted Secretary Richardson's challenge last year and took the steps needed to improve what already was a strong security culture. More importantly, I am confident that we have in place the dedicated people, the procedures and the commitment across the Laboratory to sustain this progress. The Department of Energy's Office of Independent Oversight and Performance Assurance confirmed through major reviews in August and December that Los Alamos achieved the highest possible rating across the entire spectrum of security issues: program management, physical security, material control and accountability, protecting classified material and cyber security. The inspectors also expressed confidence that the corrective action plans that we have developed are on schedule and adequate to solve any remaining issues. |
Researcher receives first-ever LANSCE
Director's Award
Gregory Smith of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) has received the first LANSCE Director's Award for Scientific Excellence.
The 12-year Laboratory veteran received a plaque and a $2,000 cash prize for demonstrated scientific excellence and leadership from LANSCE Division Director Roger Pynn on the last day of the fourth annual LANSCE User Group Meeting at the Courtyard by Marriott in Santa Fe.
"Greg truly deserves this award," said Pynn. "His internationally recognized studies in soft condensed matter, expertise in neutron scattering techniques, numerous technical papers and enthusiastic support and mentoring of young researchers at LANSCE are unequaled. He certainly sets the standard for future LANSCE Director's Award winners."
Smith said, "I'm particularly pleased to receive this award because I'm being recognized by my peers. To be recognized in this fashion is pretty overwhelming."
Smith was nominated by colleagues outside of the Lab who come to LANSCE to use its neutron-scattering facilities, learn neutron-scattering techniques or collaborate on projects. The LANSCE User Group Executive Committee selected Smith for the award.
Smith received his bachelor's degree in physics from Marietta College in Ohio and his doctorate in physics from Iowa State University. He worked as a postdoctoral student for Exxon Research and Engineering Co. in New Jersey for three years before coming to Los Alamos.
Smith is known worldwide for his expertise in several neutron-scattering techniques, most notably neutron reflectometry, in which neutrons are reflected off the surfaces of biological materials and soft-condensed matter to further the understanding the materials' surface structures at the molecular level.
Smith designed and built the Laboratory's first neutron reflectometer and accompanying software in 1988. The reflectometer has been a part of Los Alamos' user program at the Manuel Lujan Jr. Neutron Scattering Center, a Department of Energy national user facility, since 1989. He also designed and built an innovative humidity-controlled oven that allows neutron reflectometry to be used to characterize free-standing, multilayer membranes.
Among Smith's current collaborations is a study of the structure of molecules in advanced-delivery drug systems with the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Smith received a Los Alamos Achievement Award in 1999 in recognition of his leadership as acting deputy group leader of the Lujan center. He is a member of the American Physical Society and Materials Research Society, among others.
--Ternel N. Martinez
The first day of parking-shuttle service around Technical Area 3 just happened to coincide with the first day of the new flexible work schedule for many employees, and that may have contributed to the low ridership experienced on Monday's initial day of service.
Even though the buses weren't carrying many passengers, the drivers kept busy via two-way radio working out their timing to ensure that the buses were spaced evenly between the stops and that they would have ample time at each stop for passengers to get on and off.
"We're encouraging employees to use this service," said Tony Stanford, division director for the Facility and Waste Operations (FWO) Division. "But realistically, we don't expect ridership to be high until the Strategic Computing Complex construction zone is closed to parking, sometime in mid-February."
In the meantime the buses will continue to run daily from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. FWO plans to continually assess the bus schedule and adjust the run times according to employee's needs. If it is determined that the new work schedule requires moving the start time of the shuttle service to earlier in the morning, FWO would do so as soon as feasible. Please see the attached map for current route and bus stop information. (Parking shuttle routes (pdf) or jpeg.)
SCC construction continues on schedule with Johnson Controls Northern New Mexico crews working on installing utilities infrastructure. The horizontal boring operations down Mercury Road continue to be a major focus. Horizontal boring beneath the Public Affairs building, SM-100, was completed last week and work continues to repair telephone conduit damaged in a minor mishap during the operation. This has required the intermittent closure of the sidewalk alongside the Public Affairs office building.
SCC Project Manager John Bretzke asks that all pedestrians use extreme caution when traversing the east border of the SCC construction area and be watchful of uneven pavement and manhole covers. "We regret how inconvenient this has been for many employees. U.S. West technicians should be finished with their repairs in time to have the sidewalk permanently re-opened next Monday."
High winds late last week created a significant problem of blowing dust from the construction site. The Project Management (PM) Division has initiated action to mitigate the dust by spraying down the larger mounds of earth with water.
The High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) portion of the parking lot west of the JCNNM (SM-38) shops continues to be closed while crews work to install a large steam line. That project should be completed in the next two weeks after which the HOV spaces will re-open.
The remaining parking inside the SCC construction zone will begin to close sometime after Feb. 14 with the west half becoming permanently closed to parking. The east half of the lot will likely remain open for another 30 days after the west half is closed.
We hope that employees will continue to be patient with us throughout the project," said Bretzke. "More importantly, we hope that everyone continues to pay attention to and follow the safety related barriers and signs around the construction activity."
The SCC project team asks that employees with questions or problems relating to the construction call the project office at 5-5550. There is additional information on the SCC construction project home page located at http://int.lanl.gov/projects/asci/scc/.
--Kevin Roark
Judges needed for local science fairs
The Laboratory needs volunteers with science or technical backgrounds to serve as judges for upcoming local science fairs.
Volunteers can take personal time to serve, be sponsored by their respective groups/divisions or use community service time, which is covered under AM 322.21 of the Laboratory's Personnel Manual. If you wish to volunteer under community service, form 704, "Request for Community Service Time," must be submitted in advance. The form is online at http://enterprise.lanl.gov/forms/704.pdf (Adobe Acrobat required).
If you are interested in helping with any of the upcoming fairs listed below, or for more information, contact Linda Anderman of the Community Relations Office (CRO) at anderman@lanl.gov or 5-9196. She will forward your name and contact information to the appropriate organization(s).
Santa Clara Day School (Santa Clara Pueblo)
Date: Jan. 27
Time: 8 a.m. to noon
Need: 10 judges
Grades: Kindergarten through 6
McCurdy School (middle and high school in Española)
Date: Feb. 1
Time: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Lunch 12:15 to 1 p.m.)
Need: 10 judges
Grades: 7 and 8 (middle school)Date: Feb. 3
Time: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Lunch 12:15 to 1 p.m.)
Need: Eight judges
Grades: 9 through 12 (high school)
Te Tsu Geh Oweenge Day School Science Fair/Invent America (Tesuque Pueblo)
Date: Feb. 9
Time: 9 to 10:30 a.m.
Need: Four judges
Grades: Kindergarten through 6
Northern Pueblos Agency Science Fair/Invent America (Santa Clara Day School)
Date: Feb. 11
Time: 9:30 a.m. to noon
Need: 15 to 20 judges
Grades: K through 8
Bureau of Indian Affairs Third Annual Invention/Science Fair (Albuquerque)
Date: Feb. 18
Time: 8:30 through 10 a.m.
Need: As many judges as possible to cover 150 to 200 projects
Grades: Kindergarten through 4 (Invention Convention)(Grades 5 through 12 will participate in the science fair competition in preparation for the state and national science fairs)
Ninth Annual New Mexico Native American Science and Engineering Fair (Albuquerque)
Date: March 10 and 11
Time: March 10 - 7 to 8 p.m. (Judges reception)
March 11 - 7:30 to 10 a.m.
Need: Several judges
--Ternel N. Martinez
Laboratory Fellows Prize 2000 recipient
to give colloquium Thursday
Victor Klimov, recipient of the Laboratory Fellows Prize 2000
for outstanding research in science, will give a Director's Colloquium
at 11 a.m. Thursday in the Physics Building Auditorium at Technical
Area 3.
Klimov of Chemical Reactions, Kinetics and Dynamics (CST-6) will speak about "Femtosecond interactions in a World of Nanometer Dimensions." The talk will be broadcast on LABNET and is open to Laboratory employees and subcontract personnel.
For more information, see the Jan. 21 Newsbulletin.
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