2 Los Alamos Security Officials Demoted

The top two security officials at Los Alamos National Laboratory have been reassigned to nonmanagement roles as part of a continuing shake-up at the nuclear weapons facility amid federal investigations into allegations of theft and corruption.

Los Alamos officials said Stan Busboom, the New Mexico lab’s security division leader, and his deputy, Gene Tucker, had stepped down, effective Wednesday. Busboom and Tucker were instrumental in the dismissals in November of two former police officers hired by the lab to investigate the mounting allegations of credit card abuse, missing equipment and mismanagement.

The fired investigators later claimed that the dismissals were an attempt to cover up the alleged wrongdoing, sparking growing concern from federal officials and the University of California, which runs Los Alamos and two other national labs on contract for the Department of Energy.

Last week, the university announced major changes at Los Alamos, including the replacement of its director, John C. Browne, as part of an effort to resolve the problems. At the same time, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham has ordered an evaluation of the university’s management of Los Alamos, warning the university that the allegations have threatened its 60-year association with the facility, the birthplace of the atomic bomb.

In the latest announcement, James Holt, the lab’s associate director for operations, noted the criticism of lab management and said the reassignments of the security officials were necessary to address those concerns. Holt said Scott Gibbs of the lab’s operations directorate will fill Busboom’s position temporarily; Kevin Leifheit, security program manager, will be acting deputy.

Busboom and Tucker will stay on at the lab but not in management roles, lab officials said.

Also Wednesday, UC President Richard C. Atkinson announced the appointment of senior UC administrator Bruce Darling as interim vice president in charge of the university’s management of the laboratories, which include Lawrence Livermore near Oakland, also a nuclear weapons facility, and Lawrence Berkeley, an energy research center.

Darling, 50, senior vice president for university affairs, is a close associate of Atkinson. He replaces John P. McTague, who is retiring.