Feds delay decision on lab contract

The National Nuclear Security Administration has delayed an announcement of who will take over management of Los Alamos National Laboratory. Tyler Przybylek, who chairs a group of NNSA employees studying the matter, has requested more time to analyze proposals from two groups competing to take over managing the lab.

“A decision on the selection of a contractor to manage and operate Los Alamos National Laboratory will not be announced on Dec. 1 as previously projected,” a Wednesday morning news release from NNSA said. Przybylek said he “does not anticipate a significant delay in the selection decision,” the release said. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N .M., said the delay would be brief. U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N .M., said he was disappointed with news of the postponement. “People have been in a limbo situation up there for a while,” he said by telephone. “ ... I certainly hope this is a short delay.” Lab employees do good work at the lab and have a right to know when the new contractor will be selected, Udall said. “Government needs to keep up its end of the bargain, stay on schedule ,” he said.

An NNSA spokesman in Washington, D.C., declined to elaborate beyond Wednesday’s news release.

Przybylek chairs the Source Evaluation Board, an eightmember body of NNSA employees based in Albuquerque that is preparing a report on the strengths and weaknesses of the proposals to take over management of the lab. The board will give its report to an NNSA deputy administrator, Thomas D’Agostino , who will make the decision, an NNSA spokesman has explained.

Two coalitions of private companies and large public universities are competing to manage the country’s premier nuclear-weapons lab.

The University of California and Bechtel National have formed one team. The University of Texas and Lockheed Martin Corp. make up the second .

The delay came as a surprise to officials from the teams.

Michael Anastasio, who leads the University of California group, said he thought the government should do what it feels is necessary. “We look forward to that decision whenever they will make it,” he said. “So we wait.”

Rod Geer, a spokesman for the Lockheed/Texas group, said the team is anxious for the decision . “But we also know that (the Department of Energy) and NNSA want to do this right,” he said.

The winner can earn up to $79 million a year to manage the lab, which has a $2.2 billion annual budget and more than 15,000 employees and contractors .

The University of California has managed the lab alone since 1943. The lab has been plagued in recent years by a series of security, financial and safety scandals.

After the announcement, the NNSA has planned for a sixmonth transition period. The new contractor would take over day-to-day management of the lab June 1, 2006.

Domenici’s office issued a statement shortly after the announcement Wednesday.

“I continue to have faith that (the Department of Energy) is conducting a fair, thorough and exhaustive evaluation of the two bids, and I’m confident that no matter what the outcome, the lab will have an excellent management team and the employees will be well treated,” Domenici said. “I do not expect this delay to inhibit lab operations .” Domenici chairs the Senate appropriations subcommittee that pays for energy and water projects, including the national laboratories. A lab spokesman said Los Alamos employees received a memo about the matter on Wednesday. For more information, go to www.doeal.gov/lanlcontractrecompete /New.htm. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact Andy Lenderman at 995-3827 or alenderman @sfnewmexican .com.