December 1, 2004


POGO: Hold New Manager at Los Alamos Accountable
Draft Request for Proposal Issued to Manage Los Alamos National Laboratory
For Immediate Release
Contact: Peter Stockton or Beth Daley (202) 347-1122 or email beth@pogo.org

The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) called upon Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Spencer Abraham to institute accountability measures for the new contractor at Los Alamos National Laboratory in order to prevent future security, safety, and environmental problems (click here to read POGO's letter). Today the Department of Energy issued a draft Request for Proposal for contractors seeking to manage Los Alamos (see http://www.doeal.gov/lanlcontractrecompete/DraftRFP.htm).

“The last Los Alamos contract gave the University of California a perpetual get out of jail free card. This time the contractor needs to be held to a much higher standard that will protect the taxpayer,” said Danielle Brian, Executive Director of POGO. Los Alamos National Laboratory, which is currently managed by the University of California , has been plagued by an embarrassing series of security and safety failures in recent months which ultimately led to the shut down of operations at the facility in the summer.

Since releasing its October 2001 report, “U.S. Nuclear Weapons Complex: Security At Risk”, POGO has worked with hundreds of whistleblowers and insiders in the weapons complex, including at Los Alamos, to expose physical and cyber-security weaknesses, financial fraud, and corruption.

POGO’s information and document disclosures to the media in 2002 and 2003 in conjunction with the efforts of whistleblowers Glenn Walp and Steve Doran forced the Department of Energy to announce that it would compete the Los Alamos contract for the first time ever in its 60-year history. Drawing upon its expertise working with insiders, POGO has informed the Department of Energy’s new initiatives to improve security (see http://www.pogo.org/p/environment/ea-040501-nuclear.html).

POGO investigates, exposes, and seeks to remedy systemic abuses of power, mismanagement, and subservience by the federal government to powerful special interests. Founded in 1981, POGO is a politically-independent, nonprofit watchdog that strives to promote a government that is accountable to the citizenry.

# # #


Home I Archives I Expose I Search I Donations I Investigations I About Us I Contact Us I Press Room
Site Map I Web Overseer I Site Policies
---
© The Project On Government Oversight 2004