UC Optimistic About A-Labs

University of California officials said Thursday they were optimistic that the federal government would negotiate exclusively with the university system to continue operating two national nuclear weapons laboratories.

The upbeat mood comes after a meeting Monday and Tuesday in Chicago between the U.S. Department of Energy and the university system to discuss the future of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore and the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, which have been UC-run for half a century.

“The atmosphere during and after the meeting was very positive,” said William R. Frazer, University of California senior vice president of academic affairs, in a presentation to a committee of the UC Board of Regents.

The university system wants to continue managing the laboratories despite protests from some faculty members who oppose UC’s involvement in weapons research.

Critics also have questioned whether the UC system benefits enough from the labs to compensate for the public relations problems. Frazer said the system wants to continue operating the labs mainly as a public service.

“Frankly, we don’t get anything out of it,” he told reporters after his presentation at UCLA.

The Chicago talks were held as the government decides whether to open the contract for the lab operation to a competitive bidding process or negotiate strictly with the University of California.

The UC contract runs out on Sept. 30, 1992. The university system receives about $12.5 million a year in management fees to run the labs, along with the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, which doesn’t do weapons research.

UC officials have said they would not take part in a competitive bidding process, which likely would involve going up against private companies. The University of New Mexico has also expressed an interest in running the Los Alamos lab, Frazer said.

The main sticking points in the early talks have been over the level of government involvement in the management of the labs and liability in environmental damage, such as a chemical spill.

The Department of Energy has been seeking more oversight than the university system desires, and the university system contends it cannot afford to take financial responsibility for environmental damage.

Another difference has been over freedom of information. The government would like to keep a tighter rein over lab officials’ comments to the public, according to UC officials.