Tracy Press

 
Officials at a Tuesday meeting will explain proposed new nuclear weapons research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and opponents will be there too.

The public is invited to speak out for or against a new nuclear weapons complex proposed by the National Nuclear Security Administration at a public hearing Tuesday.

During the first informal hour, people will have a chance to check out booths set up by the U.S. Department of Energy and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and hear the opposing perspective from Tri-Valley C.A.R.E.s, an anti-nuclear Lab watchdog. Afterward, each person who signs up may speak for less than five minutes during the public comment portion.

Ted Wykadocument manager for the nuclear weapons complex’s environmental impact statement, will give a half-hour presentation on the administration’s plans to modernize the nuclear weapons complex.

“This is important for the public to know how we want to achieve a smaller, safer, more secure and less expensive nuclear weapons complex,” said Lauren Martinez, spokeswoman for NNSA’s Livermore site office.

Martinez said the complex is from the Cold War-era and would be brought up to date if the plans are OK’d. According to Martinez, the plan would consolidate nuclear materials at five nuclear sites within the next 4½ years, reduce the square footage of buildings and structures supporting weapons missions by as much as a third, stop administration operations of two major testing sites that support laboratories within the next seven years, and ultimately allow weapons to be dismantled more quickly. That also means 20 to 30 percent of the Livermore lab’s workers who support weapons would be reduced over the next decade through attrition.

Marylia Kelley with Tri-Valley C.A.R.E.s calls the new plan, dubbed “complex transformation,” a thin disguise to build new nuclear weapons.

“Their plan is to rebuild and modernize about 25 million square feet of nuclear weapons factories across the country,” said Kelley, who will host a table at Tuesday’s meeting. “Do people want to see a nuclear weapons complex that’s rebuilt and turns out new nuclear weapons, or do we want to see the U.S. move forward in a more peaceful direction? The issues at stake are very important issues.”

A similar hearing will be conducted Wednesday in Livermore. Special guest Koji Hosokawa, a Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor, will be at one or both of the hearings, along with representatives from the Tri-Valley Sierra Club, American Friends Service Committee and others.

The public can comment on the proposed nuclear weapons complex through April 10 at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it NNSA will respond via either e-mail or a letter to each comment.

• We want to hear what you have to say. To reach Tracy Press reporter Danielle MacMurchy, call 830-4221 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

At a glance

WHAT: Public hearing on a proposed nuclear weapons complex

WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday night

WHERE: Holiday Inn Express, 3751 N. Tracy Blvd.

INFO: NNSA Livermore site office, 925-422-2028

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written by i smell smoke , March 17, 2008

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written by David Rocha , March 20, 2008

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