Up to 84 security workers at the Idaho National Laboratory could be laid off as a result of the
Two INL security experts demonstrate how to operate and monitor a closed circuit video system. (INL photo)
sequestration budget cuts that went into effect March 1.
The safeguards and security program is segregated from other lab programs and falls under the Defense budget, which takes a bigger hit. It has 500 workers total.
Since the budget cuts require across the board cuts, INL officials were forced to cut $6.7 million from the 93.3 million budget, said Brad Bugger, a DOE Idaho spokesman. The 2013 budget has not yet been approved but the projected cut from the proposed $94.9 million budget is $8.3 million.
The cuts will come in layoff and attrition of both physical and cyber security staff, Bugger said. That means INL will no longer be able to fully support research and training activities using special nuclear materials, for nonproliferation and emergency response training and other programs for National Homeland Security.
It also will affect research agreements with universities, industries, and international partners, Bugger said. Energy will have to cut back on programs to reduce inventories of nuclear materials and spent nuclear fuel.
All of the cutbacks also “will result in long-term impacts to support facility operations and security activities to enable resumption of mission critical R&D and (Homeland Security) activities,” Bugger said.
“We will continue to investigate options to mitigate these impacts,” he said.
DOE Idaho has to spread the cuts over 225 separate funding lines, which has limited the agency’s flexibility in lessening the impact of the cuts, Bugger said. INL has 3,800 workers not counting its waste clean-up contractors.
“The Department is making every effort possible to prevent severe impacts to the mission and layoffs for our workforce,” he said.
Say “Thank you, Tea Party.” That’s a good little conservative.
ahhhh! Poor liberal spender. If you feel so strongly that spending should not decrease, then why don’t you fund the amount they are cutting for the INL?
Makes sense to have some cuts. Sounds like they are fairly minor overall.
I’m sure those 84 Idahoans won’t think it is minor.
From my read these are all DOD and not DOE, contrary to the headline.
Wrong
Blaming one side is ignorant. Both sides caused the Sequester to happen. The Democrats wanted to keep their funding while removing the republicans. The Republicans wanted to keep theirs and remove the Democrats.
The end result was both sides got the cuts they wanted and someone else to blame for the sequester. A genuine compromise within our Congress.
SilverStryfe got it right. Neither side did a thing to stop this; it was wanted by both sides.
We’ve already seen how this administration is artificially trying to make things worst rather than doing what is right. Put on your big boy pants burak and make the needed cuts without layoffs. The real title should be obama administration may lay off workers at INL because the obama doesn’t want to give up his golf forays.