By Benjamin Parke

Daily Bruin Contributor

SAN FRANCISCO — Los Alamos National Laboratory Director John Browne reported Wednesday to the UC Board of Regents on recent security lapses that have brought the university’s management of the lab under criticism.

The report was given to the regents’ Committee on Oversight of the Department of Energy Laboratories on the first day of the regents’ bi-monthly meeting at UC San Francisco.

UC’s management of the labs’ security came under fire earlier this year, when two hard drives containing nuclear weapons disarmament information were reported missing.

Though the hard drives were eventually discovered behind a copy machine, the mix-up added to an already existing controversy surrounding the lab since nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee was arrested for mishandling nuclear information.

In addition to Los Alamos, the university also manages Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley National laboratories, as part of a contract with the DOE that stems from before the development of the first nuclear bomb.

Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante questioned Browne on the recent security lapses.

He wanted to know whether espionage was involved in the disappearance of the hard drives.

Browne responded by saying he didn’t think that was the case, though he couldn’t prove it one way or another.

“It does appear to be human error. Whether it’s unintentional or deliberate, I can’t tell you,” he said.

DOE security audits gave a less-than-satisfactory rating to the lab during four out of the past 10 years, Browne said.

But he pointed out that the audits considered five different categories of security – such as control of information and control of nuclear material – and that a low rating for one area in any particular year didn’t necessarily reflect on other areas.

In major audits in August and September, the lab received the highest security rating possible.

Part of the security problem, according to Browne, was that since the DOE sets security requirements, it is difficult to take additional measures since the lab is dealing with a set amount of funds allocated by the department.

“You’re in a Catch-22 situation,” Browne said. “Yes, you can go beyond the requirements, but where do you get the resources?”

Regent David Lee, who expressed concern for the fate of physicist Wen Ho Lee, asked if Asian Americans were being unfairly targeted for investigation.

“Do we treat all American citizens the same?” asked Lee, who said Asian Americans would be reluctant to apply for jobs at the lab unless the University made publicity efforts to counter that perception.

Browne acknowledged that the incident affected Asian Americans working at the lab, leading to a drop in applicants for post-doctorate work.

“There have been some losses but not major outflows of people,” said Browne. “There have been a few individuals who have chosen to leave or chosen to retire.”

Student Regent Justin Fong said he had reviewed a number of concerns from employees of Asian and Pacific Islander descent.

Regent Ward Connerly said “there has been a lot of politicization of this issue.”

“The media, Congress, and everyone else have made it a larger issue than it would be after the 2000 election,” said Connerly. “There is a political reality here.”

Browne said he believed the main threat facing the lab is in the realm of cyber-security, in which computer hackers might be able to access sensitive lab data.

He mentioned that a $120 million plan to counteract such security breaches had not yet been funded.

The Lt. governor said the labs’ security was of the utmost importance.

“We have a moral responsibility to ensure that we are on the cutting edge, that we are always out there, ahead of the competition,” Bustamante said.

On August 2, C. Judson King, UC provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, is scheduled to meet with Gen. John Gordon and T.J. Glauthier, deputy secretary of the DOE to discuss the future of the Los Alamos lab.

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The regents also heard a report from C. Bruce Tarter, director of the Lawrence laboratory who said construction of the National Ignition Facility, a project to maintain the nation’s nuclear stockpile, is 91 percent complete.

IBM’s ASCI White, the world’s fastest supercomputer, was also recently delivered to the Livermore lab. The computer will improve the lab’s ability to simulate nuclear explosions.

Other matters before the board included a report from Carol Tomlinson-Keasey on environmental issues surrounding the construction of UC Merced, which is to be the system’s 10th campus. She said the school plans on preserving 60,000 acres of wetlands surrounding the campus.

She added that two courses were already being taught over the summer. The campus is scheduled to be completed by 2004, she said.

With reports from Daily Bruin wire services.