Richardson announces plan to relocate Los Alamos TA-18 capabilities

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Richardson announces plan to relocate Los Alamos TA-18 capabilities

Energy Secretary Bill Richardson today announced that Technical Area 
18 (TA-18), a facility at the Department of Energy's Los Alamos 
National Laboratory, will be closed by the end of 2004, and that an 
environmental impact study on the proposed transfer of TA-18's 
capabilities and materials to another location will begin immediately 
and is scheduled to be completed in December. The facility supports 
important defense, nuclear safety and national security missions.

Though TA-18 is judged safe and secure by the department's 
independent inspection office, its facilities are between 30 and 50 
years old and are increasingly expensive to maintain and operate. The 
preferred relocation option, Secretary Richardson said, is a 
different site at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Consideration also 
will be given to other Department of Energy facilities, including the 
Nevada Test Site and Argonne-West in Idaho.

"Keeping TA-18 open while we conduct an environmental study and 
assess other sites is clearly the sensible way to go," Richardson 
said. "There will be no near-term impacts to Energy Department 
programs or commitments, and an orderly transition will ensure 
minimal effect on previously scheduled activities. Also, this 
approach supports staff retention and recruiting efforts at Los 
Alamos."

TA-18 houses the nation's only facilities capable of performing 
general-purpose nuclear materials handing for a variety of 
experiments, measurements and training. It houses the Western 
Hemisphere's largest collection of machines for conducting 
experiments for validating safety evaluations and establishing limits 
for operations that involve nuclear materials.

About 80 full-time employees work at TA-18. They provide expertise 
and knowledge in advanced nuclear technologies that support three 
primary areas: (1) critical experiments in support of Stockpile 
Stewardship and nuclear safety programs throughout the department; 
(2) emergency response in support of couterterrorism activities; and 
(3) safeguards and arms control in support of domestic and 
international programs to control nuclear materials. Additionally, 
training activities at TA-18 develop and maintain capabilities and 
expertise within the national nuclear materials handling community.

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Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	
Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Division		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    
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Costa Mesa, CA 92626                                      

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