While the U.S. Department of Energy shuts down nuclear labs, and a senator introduces a bill to end the University of California System's management of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, a plan is emerging for Texas and New Mexico universities to take over the beleaguered weapons lab.
In early July, Los Alamos officials in New Mexico revealed that computer disks containing classified information were missing. This has lead to unprecedented closure of DOE nuclear facilities nationwide to implement computer security measures.
Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., introduced legislation last week to require the DOE to terminate its contract with UC and appoint an interim manager until a new contractor is selected. UC has managed Los Alamos since 1943.
Now a plan is being presented, in bits and pieces and as a new idea, for Texas and New Mexico universities to partner and run Los Alamos. But the plan has existed since the mid-1990s.
In February, the UT System announced possible interest in the Los Alamos contract, which DOE officials decided last year to open for competition. A number of corporations have also expressed their desire. Texas A&M announced its interest only last week.
UT officials have been coy. They're willing to partner, but won't say with whom. Following Texas A&M's announcement, a UT vice chancellor told the Austin American-Statesman there have been no talks between UT and Texas A&M about Los Alamos.
Texas A&M officials, however, began immediately speculating about partnerships with UT, the University of New Mexico and other New Mexico universities.
The Bryan-College Station Eagle reported a Texas A&M vice chancellor admitted that the Texas A&M and UT presidents have talked about forming a partnership to run the lab. Texas A&M is serious about partnering with New Mexico's universities, including New Mexico Tech, New Mexico State University and the University of New Mexico, according to The Albuquerque Tribune.
None of this is new.
This Texas-New Mexico university partnership plan appeared in December 1995, when then-UT chancellor William Cunningham wrote the DOE and said a group of universities is interested "in ascertaining ... the proper procedure whereby we may compete for the contract to operate [Los Alamos]." The proposed consortium included the UT System, Texas A&M and New Mexico State University.
UT and Texas A&M nuclear weapons work goes back to 1993 when the two, with Texas Tech University, created the Amarillo National Research Center for Plutonium to advise the DOE, the state of Texas and the Pantex nuclear weapons plant.
Leading that consortium was Dale Klein, then a UT Austin mechanical engineering professor, and now assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs.
In 1995, Klein became a UT associate vice chancellor just before the UT System notified the DOE of its interest in managing Los Alamos. In public statements, he has denied talking with UT officials about Los Alamos and said his work on a DOE commission had nothing to do with the UT System.
But Klein may have played a role in crafting this early Texas-New Mexico university plan. He likely maintains interest today.
Whether Klein and Texas advocates in Washington have a hand in decisions on the lab's management next year depends partly on the November election outcome. A victory by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., would bring new leadership to the DOD, the DOE and the National Nuclear Security Administration that has decision-making power over future management.
Regardless of the election outcome, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, will continue to strongly support Texas universities. She will likely back this Texas-New Mexico university partnership plan to run Los Alamos.
Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., may also support this partnership. Although Domenici doesn't support Allard's bill to terminate UC's contract, he has become critical of the system's management.
By advancing the Texas-New Mexico partnership plan in a piecemeal fashion, the universities are generating mystique about cooperation between rival Texas institutions. More attention is being paid to which universities will work together, rather than to whether universities should be developing nuclear weapons.
The UT System should stop pretending it doesn't know what it's doing and admit it's been talking to Texas A&M about Los Alamos for a long time.
As a nation, we should ask whether we still need to research, develop and produce nuclear weapons - and whether it's a university's business to do so.
Stefan Wray is a UT alum, activist, writer and filmmaker in Austin. As Co-Director of Iconmedia, he is working on a documentary about the Los Alamos National Laboratory, called "The WMDs Are In New Mexico." He works with UTNukeFree.org.
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