Lawrence Livermore National Lab to lend expertise to Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts

LIVERMORE, Calif. — The University of California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory announced plans today to assist in the recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Lab will offer technical, scientific, educational and humanitarian assistance.

"Our Laboratory is offering scientific and technical assistance to the federal and state agencies who are responding to this terrible disaster," said Director Michael Anastasio. "Our employees have been deeply moved by this tragedy and we want to lend our expertise. Our hearts go out to all the victims."

Six employees from the Lab will leave for New Orleans this weekend to join forces with the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, to support the Department of Defense relief efforts. LLNL has developed a solution for communicating in harsh environments and will work with NPS to set up emergency communications and wireless networks. The Laboratory’s "Urban Eyes" technology allows high-bandwidth communications including voice, streaming video and data.

The Lab’s Micropower-Impulse Radar (MIR) technology also will be deployed to assist search and rescue crews in locating hurricane victims. This same technology was deployed in the days following the September 11 attacks in New York’s World Trade Center rubble.

The Lab also is offering up a number of technical experts and deployment options to identify some of the water issues that exist – including ideas for characterization, removal, treatment and disposal.

On the educational front, LLNL will be exploring ways to assist students, researchers and faculty members at Southern University in New Orleans as well as other affected colleges and universities. For more than a decade, LLNL has partnered with the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBC&U) in the Gulf Coast area and specifically Southern University in New Orleans. The Lab hopes to offer opportunities for students and faculty to continue their research at LLNL as part of the Lab’s visiting professor and participating guest programs. LLNL also is looking to identify those students from Southern University who may be California residents to see if they could benefit from continuing their work at the laboratory.

The Lab’s annual HOME campaign, or Helping Others More Effectively, will open early to accept cash donations of LLNL employees. Each year, the Lab raises more than $1.5 million to help charitable organizations – many of which are contributing to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

"Over the next few weeks we will continue to identify ways we can help in this national crisis," said Anastasio. "We hope our science and technology and all of our Laboratory efforts can make a difference."

Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has a mission to ensure national security and to apply science and technology to the important issues of our time. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.