Stand-Down of Los Alamos National Laboratory: Total Costs Uncertain; Almost All Mission-Critical Programs Were Affected but Have Recovered

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "On July 16, 2004, the director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) declared a suspension, or stand-down, of laboratory operations to address safety and security concerns. LANL is one of three laboratories that conduct nuclear weapons research for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) within the Department of Energy (DOE). In deciding to stand down operations, LANL's director consulted with senior officials from NNSA and the University of California, the management and operating contractor for the laboratory. GAO was asked to assess (1) the extent to which LANL's and NNSA's estimates capture the total cost of the stand-down, (2) the effect of the stand-down on LANL's major research programs, and (3) whether there was a reasonable basis for NNSA's decisions regarding the reimbursement of stand-down costs to the University of California.