Global Security Newswire

The Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico on Monday said it is planning a "voluntary separation program" aimed at cutting personnel by 400 to 800 staffers (see GSN, Feb. 21).

"We are taking these actions now in an attempt to reduce the risks of involuntary layoffs," laboratory Director Charlie McMillan said in a press release.  "When combined with a suppressed attrition rate for the past three years, our current budget and future outlook require significant cost-cutting. The plan we’re submitting will position the lab to continue executing our missions today and in the future."

The move is necessitated by a $300 million drop in this year's budget, from $2.55 billion in fiscal 2011 to $2.2 billion, and the expectation that subsequent appropriations would leave the laboratory with an equal or smaller amount of funding, McMillan told laboratory staffers.

The National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the facility, must sign off on the proposal (Los Alamos National Laboratory release, Feb. 21).

Los Alamos houses both nonproliferation and atomic arms activities, including production of plutonium cores for nuclear weapons.

"LANL is critical to our national security and state's economy and I will continue to push for adequate funding at both of New Mexico's national lab[s]," the Associated Press quoted Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) as saying in prepared comments.

Countered Greg Mello, head of the watchdog Los Alamos Study Group: "The post-Cold War nuclear weapons missions at LANL have grown much too much over the past 17 years. Not only have the missions grown, but so has the cost per scientist" (Jeri Clausing, Associated Press/The Republic, Feb. 21).

The laboratory presently has 11,127 permanent staffers, but the separation plan would cover only 9,585 members of the work force, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported (Roger Snodgrass, New Mexican, Feb. 21).