Monday, April 19, 1999
Energy secretary announces intent to name Lab employee Carlsbad
Area Office Manager
Energy Secretary Bill Richardson on Friday announced that he plans to name the Laboratory's Inés Triay as new manager of the Department of Energy's Carlsbad Area Office.
Triay, who has led the Lab's Environmental Science and Waste Technology Group (CST-7) since 1994, is expected to be in her new position by mid-May, according to a DOE news release issued Friday.
"Inés Triay's considerable experience in transuranic waste characterization and treatment, and experience in environmental matters will be an excellent asset to the mission of the Carlsbad Area Office," Richardson said in the news release.
In her new position in Carlsbad, Triay will be responsible for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, the nation's only deep geologic repository for the disposal of transuranic waste, the release stated. She will be dealing extensively with a wide range of regulatory, legal, institutional and technical issues associated with the continued safe operation of WIPP, which employs more than 700 people under contract to operate and maintain the facility.
"I am honored by the announcement," said Triay in an interview Friday. "I think Carlsbad has answered the call of the nation for a cogent nuclear-waste strategy. I have a thorough understanding of most every aspect of repository science and technology; I have a great passion for this field. I believe the United States should have a nuclear future, and WIPP certainly is a critical part of that nuclear future."
Triay added that part of her goal as a scientist has been to try to ensure that every aspect of repository science is technologically defensible. In her work at the Lab, Triay has been responsible for research on transuranic waste characterization and treatment, decontamination methods and technology, environmental chemistry, contaminant transport and remediation, and isotope chemistry.
Triay received her bachelor's and doctoral degrees from the University of Miami. She began working at the Lab in 1985 as a postdoctoral staff member in the Isotope and Nuclear Chemistry Division. Since coming to the Lab, she has held a number of positions, including acting deputy director of the Chemical Science and Technology (CST) Division from October 1997 to January 1998. She also has served as the Laboratory's environmental representative to the Air Force at the Pentagon, as a recruiter for the Lab, and as leader of the Isotope and Environmental Geochemistry Group.
Triay said her hiring must be approved by the Office of Personnel Management, and she said she expects that OPM will reach its decision this week. If approved, Triay will replace Keith Klein, who has served as acting manager of DOE's Carlsbad Area Office.
According to the DOE news release, Klein has been named the new manager for DOE's Richland, Wash., Operations Office.
--James E. Rickman
Editor's note: The following ran as a special update on Friday's Daily Newsbulletin.
DOE approves plans for resumption of classified computing work
After two weeks of day-and-night efforts at the Laboratory, the Department of Energy late Thursday approved plans for a resumption of classified computing work at all three of its defense labs.
Beginning Friday, Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National laboratories started work on their secure computers on a rolling basis.
"We're very pleased that we have a solid, workable plan in place," said Bruce Matthews of Nuclear Materials Technology (NMT) and head of the Laboratory's security response team. "But people need to understand that they can't just turn on their computers. The plan that DOE and the three labs have worked out mandates a formal restart process that requires authorization by group, division and associate Laboratory director management."
All three laboratory directors suspended secure computing operations at the end of the day April 2. The directors and Energy Secretary Bill Richardson declared the standdown as part of ongoing efforts to improve security -- particularly information security -- at the labs.
Those restart requirements include documented training for all users of secure computers, as well as completion of a self-assessment by each organization of classified computing practices and procedures, Matthews said. A formal Classified Computing Restart Certification must be signed by the computer user, the organizational computer security representative, group leader and division director.
The principal goal of the computer security action plan is to enhance physical and administrative controls on classified computing to physically prevent transfer of classified information to unclassified systems or media. An additional goal is to make deliberate transfer extremely difficult to do and easy to detect.
In a memorandum to all employees Friday morning, Director John Browne thanked the employees who worked on the plan and said, "Our classified computing security action plan has received strong support from the DOE. I believe that it is critical that we now take the necessary steps to implement the plan."
About 10 people from the Security and Safeguards (S), Computing, Information and Communications (CIC) and the Associate Laboratory Directorate for Nuclear Weapons (ALDNW) developed the Laboratory's preliminary version of the Tri-Lab Information Security Initiatives plan based on initial input from throughout the Laboratory. The group then burned the midnight oil providing DOE and Los Alamos' sister labs with refinements of the plan and additional supporting information.
"These folks deserve the gratitude of the entire Laboratory for their selfless efforts to make sure we had the most complete and practical plan for making our computing resources more secure," Matthews said.
A first draft of the plan was submitted to DOE on April 9. Since then, the labs have been revising their plans and the deadlines for computer security improvements that they will make over the next year.
DOE asked for clear milestones with associated dates by which the labs would achieve those milestones, and urged the laboratories to accelerate those schedules, Matthews said. Both associate laboratory directorates for nuclear weapons and threat reduction repeatedly reviewed the schedules and analyzed how each change proposed would affect the need for resources within their programs.
"We believe this is a practical plan with milestones that we can meet," Matthews said.
The plan includes guidance for methods Los Alamos must follow to amend the milestones and deadlines at the Laboratory level. For major changes in the scope of the security plan, or changes in costs, DOE approval will be required.
The focus of the Tri-Lab plan is the prevention of inadvertent transfers of classified information. The approach at the Lab will follow fundamental project management steps. Scope, schedules and costs are being developed with a formal process to manage any changes.
--Jim Danneskiold
Motorists should seek alternate routes
Major Canyon Road construction project begins
Officials in Los Alamos County's Public Works Department have announced that major construction work on Canyon Road began today. The major street renovation will close Canyon Road to through traffic for the duration of the project, which could last until November 1999.
According to a County news release, the Canyon Road project involves removing existing pavement and concrete, replacing water and sewer lines, relocating an existing gas line and installing a new gas line. The project will replace curbs and asphalt pavement, and will include the installation of six-foot sidewalks, five-foot bike lanes on both sides of the street and left turn bys at property entrances and intersections. The project will extend from 39th Street to Central Avenue and up Central Avenue to Oppenheimer Drive.
Construction today began at the intersection of Canyon Road and Central Avenue. As a result, the following streets are closed: Canyon Road from the Aquatic Center to the United Church; the intersection of Rose Street and Central Avenue; Central Avenue from Canyon Road to Oppenheimer Drive.
If necessary, the news release stated, citizens may park at the United Church to walk to the Larry R. Walkup Aquatic Center, and people also may park at the Aquatic Center and walk to the United Church.
According to the release, access to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church and the Aquatic Center will be via Canyon Road from Diamond Drive. Areas of Canyon Road east of the Aquatic Center can be accessed by way of 15th Street.
Maps of the construction project are posted at the Municipal Building, Mesa Public Library, the Larry R. Walkup Aquatic Center, the United Church, IHM Catholic Church and the Los Alamos Jewish Center.
The news release stated that this first phase of the project should last until Mid July. But the entire project won't be complete until late in the year. Motorists should plan to use alternate routes with the loss of through traffic on Canyon Road for the duration of the project.
Those with questions about the project can call 662-8150.
--James E. Rickman
National Youth Sports Safety Month tip
Practice makes perfect, or so they say. Although coaches generally don't like to cancel or suspend practice because of inclement weather, the safety of the athletes and all others involved must be balanced between any gain in skill and strategy execution and providing a safe environment for athletes. Coaches, officials, and administrators must have policies and procedures to implement to protect people from these dangers: Heat -- Cramps, health exhaustion and heat stroke are all possible consequences of exercising in the excessive heat. Proper precautions can greatly reduce the likelihood of these heat injuries occurring. Fluid loss and related mineral loss are of primary concern. Thunderstorms and lightning -- Pose an immediate and significant danger. Coaches, officials and administrators should utilize an appropriate policy for acting if severe weather approaches. Winter weather/wind chill -- While winter weather is less of a concern because many sports are conducted indoors, coaches and parents should be aware that the combination of cold temperatures and wind can increase the potential for frostbite injury. |
Visitors briefed on Lab's threat-reduction efforts
Laboratory Director John Browne on April 15 hosted a group from Washington, D.C., including representatives from the U.S. State Department, the Department of Energy the Department of Defense and other government agencies. Technical host for the visit was Don Cobb, associate Laboratory director for threat reduction. The visitors were treated to briefings ranging across the threat reduction thrust areas, such as Russian programs, non- and counterproliferation, counter-terrorism and cyber threats, defense-related efforts and critical infrastructure protection. Pictured, from left, are State Department visitors John D. Holum, senior adviser for Arms Control and International Security; Robert H. Grommoll, chief of the Office of Strategic Transition; and Sarah A. Mullen, chief of the Office of Technology and Analysis, learning about satellite nuclear test monitoring with Mark Hodgson of Nonproliferation and Arms Control Research and Development (NIS-RD). Photo by Gary Warren of Imaging Services (CIC-9)
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Editor's Note: In recognition of National Youth Sports
Safety Month in April, the Wellness Center (ESH-2) and the National Wellness
Association have provided information for parents to consider regarding
their children's participation in organized sports. Read the Daily Newsbulletin
for a weekly youth-sports safety tip in April.
Found: earring