Possible UT bid on nuclear lab triggers protest

Ethical issues cited in managing Los Alamos site

By LA MONICA EVERETT-HAYNES
July 17, 2004, Saturday
Houston Chronicle

AUSTIN - Students, activists and protestors attended the University of Texas Systems board meeting Friday to blast the regents for their interest in managing the problem-riddled nuclear laboratory that created the atomic bomb. While proponents spoke to benefits in technology and education by managing the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, activist groups don't want the university associated with such an endeavor.

Hoping to sway the regents from submitting a bid to the U.S. Department of Energy to manage the site, activists spoke about Thursday's Los Alamos lab closure after a major security breach last week. They also gave the board a list of nearly 40 people from across the nation opposing the move.

"The technology we're talking about has no method of disposal, " said Jim Rigby, a minister at Austin's St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. "We're poisoning our own grandchildren. Our own soldiers are coming back sick."

For the last 61 years, the University of California System has managed the 12,000-employee lab, one that has continually been criticized by the federal government for alleged mismanagement of money and security holes.

This week's closure came amid the Energy Department's search for a new manager at the lab, which researches, designs and produces weapons.

In February, regents informed the Energy Department of their interest in submitting a bid and even approved spending up to $500,000 for its possible preparation.

The Energy Department is expected to begin seeking bid proposals in the fall.

When that time comes, Karen Hadden doesn't want UT among the bidders.

"UT is a stellar university, but there are some serious moral and ethical issues here," Hadden said Friday, the 59th anniversary of the first nuclear bomb test in New Mexico during World War II.

Hadden, chair of Peace Action Texas, said she prefers the regents spent time and money pursuing life-giving technology.

Yet the board has not made a commitment to take over the laboratory, said Chancellor Mark Yudof.

He emphasized that the board is aware of the negative issues but regents are also aware of the benefits.

"If we got rid of every American nuclear weapon tomorrow, we would still need to understand the technology to protect ourselves," Yudof said. "And we would still need to spend our tax dollars to conduct the kind of research done at Los Alamos."

Should the system move forward with a bid later this year, it could be up against the University of California, the Lockheed Martin Corp. and Battelle Memorial Institute, all of which also have shown interest.

Rick Smalley, a Rice University physics professor, said the UT system can't afford to be behind the action in the search for the next great energy producer.

While State Rep. Lon Burnam believes the world is at the wake of something monumental, he wants the university system to back out.

"We must not allow this decision to be based solely on the pursuit of ego and empty fiefdom-building," said Burnam, a UT graduate. "The university system I attended is worthy of much more."

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