Tri-Valley CAREs
Communities Against a Radioactive Environment
for immediate release, March 28, 2001
Livermore Lab Scientist Quits, Calls Lab Deceptive
Leaves High-Paying Job In "Stockpile Stewardship" Program, Encourages Others To Refuse Work On Nuclear Weapons
Contact:
Marylia Kelley, Tri-Valley CAREs, (925) 443-7148
WHAT:
Press Conferences at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Visitors
Center in Livermore and the World Affairs Council in San Francisco
WHEN:
Thursday, March 15
9:30 AM at the Livermore Laboratory, and
NOON at the World Affairs Council (sandwiches and drinks provided)
WHERE:
The Livermore Laboratory Visitors Center is located on Greenville Road,
about 2 miles south of I-580. The World Affairs Council is at 312 Sutter Street in San Francisco (also
serves as the new "home" of the San Francisco Press Club)
WHO:
Issac Trotts was recruited out of Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) to an $85,000/year position at Livermore Laboratory in the Visual
Interactive Environment for Weapons Simulation group in the Accelerated
Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI) of the Stockpile Stewardship program.
After graduating from U.C. Davis in 1999, Trotts received a Masters of
Science in Applied Mathematics at Brown University and worked as a Visiting
Researcher at MIT before coming to Livermore in September 2000. Trotts last
day at Livermore Lab was March 3, 2001.
WHY:
To expose deceptive recruiting practices at Livermore Lab, encourage other
scientists to refuse to work on nuclear weapons, and outline future plans
by Trotts, Tri-Valley CAREs and colleague organizations to conduct outreach
to counter Livermore Lab recruitment in Universities and within scientific
associations. Trotts will also release an open statement to current and
prospective employees.
FORMAT:
Trotts will conduct a briefing for reporters, answer questions and release
an open letter to Livermore Lab employees. Marylia Kelley, executive
director of Tri-Valley CAREs, the Livermore-based Lab "watchdog"
organization, will explain the group's campaign to encourage scientists and
engineers to renounce work on nuclear and other weapons of mass
destruction. Dr. Andreas Toupadakis, a chemist who left Livermore Lab last
year to protest the construction of the National Ignition Facility and the
Stockpile Stewardship program will be on hand to support Trotts. Other
public interest groups will also participate.