Embattled Los Alamos lab director resigns

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Embattled Los Alamos lab director resigns
Some workers celebrate his departure after overhaulMSNBC News Services
Updated: 2:02 p.m. ET May 7, 2005SAN FRANCISCO - The director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory who spent the past two years overhauling management of the nuclear weapons research center is stepping down to take up a Pentagon post, the University of California system said Friday.



A spokesman for the system, which has managed the center since 1943 when it launched as the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bombs, said Peter Nanos would be replaced on May 16 by interim director Robert Kuckuck, a nuclear physicist and veteran administrator at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Nanos served as New Mexico-based Los Alamos National Laboratory's point man for two tumultuous years since taking charge in January 2003. A former Navy vice admiral, Nanos had inherited a host of problems at Los Alamos, including credit card fraud and equipment theft. He took office vowing to “drain the swamp” and restore public confidence.

In July 2004, he suspended all work so staff could focus on safety and security procedures. Most of the work resumed after 30 days, but activities involving nuclear or hazardous materials were suspended until the end of this past January.




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