Public hearings on Complex Transformation

Public hearings on the National Nuclear Security Administration's plans to consolidate the nuclear weapons complex attracted approximately 200 people scattered over three separate meetings in Tracy and Livermore on Tuesday and Wednesday.

NNSA held the meetings to take public comment on its preferred alternative to Complex Transformation, its vision for a weapons complex that will be smaller, safer, more secure and less expensive.

Approximately 100 individuals — including Lab Director and Lawrence Livermore National Security President George Miller — spoke at the hearings. Many of the attendees were out of town activist groups opposing nuclear weapons in general.

But Miller and approximately 20 members of the community, including city council members, business leaders, employees and local residents, spoke in support of the Laboratory and NNSA.

"It has been clear for some time that the nation has needed a blueprint for the future of the nation's nuclear weapons complex that takes into account the circumstances that have changed since the end of the Cold War," Miller said. "…The preferred alternative addresses the need to consolidate special nuclear materials at fewer sites, to shrink the complex,and to replace outdated facilities and processes with modern equivalents that are more cost effective and environmentally responsible."

Under the preferred alternative, LLNL would be a center of excellence for nuclear design and engineering; a center of excellence for high explosive research and development, with the High Explosives Applications Facility; a science magnet in high-energy-density physics, with the National Ignition Facility; and a platform host site for the Sequoia petascale supercomputer. In addition, most of the Lab's special nuclear material would be removed and consolidated at a more central site.

"I welcome the plans for their consolidation," said Livermore City Councilwoman Marj Leider. "I think they are being very wise." But Leider and fellow City Councilmember Jeff Williams both raised concerns over how NNSA's planned reductions to Lab programs and its employees might impact the Laboratory's ability to help the community.

"I'm supportive of the NNSA's preferred alternative, but I'm also concerned about the impact of changes on our community," explained Williams, a retired LLNL mechanical engineer. "Lawrence Livermore and Sandia were highly influential in the growth of Livermore. A center of excellence sounds good, but only if it is sustained by government support."

Sandee Wiedemann, a board member of Shepherd's Gate, which helps the homeless, thanked the Laboratory, for "all the support from the employees because the work at Shepherd's Gate wouldn't go on without community support. And I'm grateful for the unique work they've done here in making protections for our country."

Others speaking in support of LLNL included Bob Sakai, of the East Bay Economic Development Alliance; John Shirley, former mayor of Livermore; and Toby Brink, of the Tri-Valley Business Council. 

Comments on the preferred alternative will be accepted through April 10. Comments may be e-mailed to complextransformation [at] nnsa.doe.gov (NNSA), sent via the Web page, mailed to Ted Wycka, NNSA, Office of Transformation NA-10.1, 1000 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington D.C. 20585 or faxed to 703-931-9222.

For more information on Complex Transformation, see the NNSA Website.

For specific changes to the Lab, see the LLNL plan.

Expanding Your Horizons conference draws attention to careers in science

Nearly 300 young women, grades 6-9 from Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, San Ramon and Sunol school districts converged on the Diablo Valley College, San Ramon Campus for the 29th annual Tri-Valley Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) in Science and Math Conference, held last Saturday, March 15.

The conference helps foster awareness of careers in math and science and provides young women with opportunities to meet and interact with role models who are active in math- and science-related careers.

This year's keynote speaker was Jennifer Links, a scientist at the Lab's Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. Following her talk, a number of workshops were offered that highlighted such as careers as optometry, meteorology and chemistry. A career fair was also held.

Kathleen Schaffers, materials scientist in the Lab's Photon Science and Application Program of the NIF & Photon Science Directorate, participated in the career fair and has volunteered previously at EYH conferences. "It is important to show young women what careers are out there," she said. "At their age, they may not be aware of the possibilities."

In addition to LLNL and Sandia National Laboratories, California, sponsors of the conference include the American Association of University Women and Diablo Valley College, San Ramon Campus.

For more information about this year's Tri-Valley EYH, go to the Tri-Valley EYH Website.