for more information, contact:
Marylia Kelley, Executive Director, Tri-Valley CAREs, (925) 443-7148
Jay Coghlan, Executive Director, Nuclear Watch of New Mexico, (505) 989-7342

for immediate release, Friday, October 27, 2006

LIVERMORE -- This morning the Livermore Lab GREEN, LLC submitted a bid to take over management of the troubled Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The proposal would move Livermore Lab in a new direction to better meet present day national security priorities for energy independence and nuclear nonproliferation.

The Livermore Lab GREEN (Green Renewable Energy and Environmental Nexus), LLC consists of two nuclear "watchdog" organizations, the Livermore-based Tri-Valley CAREs and Nuclear Watch of New Mexico, partnered with an academic institution, New College of California, and a green energy company, WindMiller Energy.

The 4 organizations incorporated as a Limited Liability Company on October 4, 2006 to comply with the Dept. of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration's bidding requirements.

"Our management proposal is both innovative and complete," said Marylia Kelley, Executive Director of Tri-Valley CAREs. "I expect that NNSA will be reluctant to consider genuine change. However, in our view, that is exactly what is required. The country deserves more than it is presently getting from its national labs."

The Livermore Lab GREEN, LLC management proposal would transition Livermore Lab from nuclear weapons development to an unclassified "World Class Center for Civilian Science" within 5 years. Plutonium and highly enriched uranium would be removed in 4 years.

The National Ignition Facility (NIF), which is over budget and still under construction at Livermore Lab, would be modified in size and opened as a research tool for astrophysics, earth sciences, materials science and other unclassified uses. The Livermore Lab GREEN, LLC proposal would prohibit presently planned experiments on NIF with fissile materials (e.g., highly enriched uranium, plutonium-239).

The Livermore Lab GREEN, LLC proposal contains numerous management reforms at Livermore Lab, emphasizing worker health and safety and whistleblower protections.

"Under our management," explained Kelley, "there would be a new Office of Whistleblower Protection and an Ombuds Office. We emphasize worker and community participation in our management strategy, and we challenge other bidders to show how they would accomplish this objective."

The management structure proposed by the "green" bidders also elevates Environmental Restoration to an associate directorship, alongside a new Science associate directorship.

An overarching goal of the new management team is to attract truly world-class science to Livermore Lab. In keeping with that philosophy, the "green" bid boosts the profile and footprint of civilian science projects that already exist at Livermore Lab and lays out a plan to attract new ones.

A further commitment made by the Livermore Lab GREEN, LLC involves bringing Livermore Lab programs in on time and on budget. Their choice for Lab Director reflects this priority.

"Today, I am extremely pleased to announce our choice for Livermore Lab director," said Kelley. "Dr. Robert Civiak is a physicist with the broad experience in science and budget planning needed to guide Livermore Lab into new missions and a brighter tomorrow."

Dr. Robert Civiak received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Pittsburgh. From 1978-1988, he was a specialist in Energy Technology and Section Head at the Congressional Research Service in the Library of Congress. During the spring and summer of 1988, he was a visiting scientist at Livermore Lab. From November 1988 - August 1999, Dr. Civiak was the Budget Examiner for DOE's nuclear weapons programs in the White House Office of Management and Budget.

"I believe the management of the Laboratory needs to become more budget conscious. I bring a successful track record in that regard," explained Dr. Civiak. "I would apply my experience to reduce the wasteful duplication of effort at Livermore and the other nuclear weapons laboratories."

Nuclear Watch of New Mexico's Scott Kovac added, "There is simply no need for new nuclear weapons designs. Our management will use the tax-payers' hard earned dollars in a positive way to provide for a secure future for all instead of merely funding a few weaponeers."

A copy of the Livermore Lab GREEN, LLC bid (in the form of 7 PDF docs and a transmittal letter) is available here: (transmittal letter, Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Org. Chart, Attachments 1, Attachments 2, Appendix).

The Livermore Lab GREEN, LLC challenges the other bidders to likewise make their proposals publicly available.

THE FOUR "LIVERMORE LAB GREEN, LLC" PARTNERS AT A GLANCE:

Tri-Valley CAREs was founded in Livermore in 1983 to monitor activities in the DOE nuclear weapons complex, with a special focus on the nearby Lawrence Livermore Lab. The group's 4,800 members work to promote nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, ensure cleanup of the Cold War legacy of radioactive and toxic pollution, safeguard the environment from further contamination, and enhance worker and public participation in decision-making. (www.trivalleycares.org)

New College of California is committed to education in support of a just, sacred, and sustainable world. New College cherishes intellectual freedom, the search for social justice, respect for differences, and a belief in collective responsibility for the welfare of all people. (www.newcollege.edu)

WindMiller Energy was begun in 1990 to promote and distribute wind and related energy technologies and information to small and mid-sized users. The company provides equipment and the technical details needed for user communities to maintain it optimally.

Nuclear Watch of New Mexico provides information to the public on nuclear issues in the Southwest and encourages effective citizen involvement around these concerns. The group promotes environmental protection, safe disposal of radioactive wastes, and federal policy changes to curb the proliferation of nuclear weapons. (www.nukewatch.org)

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