Recent DOE Developments: LHC Agreement, Shock Physics Institute, Deputy Secretary
There have been three recent developments announced by the U.S. Department of Energy:
LARGE HADRON COLLIDER;
Last Friday, the CERN Council voted to approve a revised agreement with the United States. This initialed agreement covers American participation in both the construction and use of the the Large Hadron Collider. Although details are not available (DOE only saying it “clarifies issues of management, cost, oversight and international reciprocity”), this yet-to-be-signed agreement won praise from DOE Secretary Federico F. Pena and CERN Director General Christopher Llewellyn-Smith.
The timing of this announcement is good, since the House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee will be marking up its bill in the near future.
A final note: an FYI last week stated that under the Constitution, the House must act first on appropriations bills. This is incorrect -- the House customarily acts first by tradition.
INSTITUTE FOR SHOCK PHYSICS:
On Monday, DOE announced a $10 million, five year agreement with Washington State University to establish an Institute for Shock Physics. This non-classified, fundamental research will be used in determining the condition of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile.
DOE explains that “shock wave research explores very rapid compression of materials, shock-induced chemical changes, detonation science and the dynamic response of materials at large compressions and deformations.” In addition to this defense work, the Institute will also perform research on aircraft safety, soil remediation, and “the synthesis and development of novel materials.”
In making this announcement on Capitol Hill, Victor Reis, Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs, said that some nuclear weapons are “reaching the end of their design life,” and that researchers familiar with these weapon systems are becoming scarcer. The new Institute should help to correct both problems.
DEPUTY SECRETARY:
Last week, Elizabeth Anne Moler became the Deputy Secretary of the Energy Department. As the new Chief Operating Office, Moler is in the number two position at DOE.
Moler was in line to become Secretary of Energy when President Clinton changed his mind. She has served as the top administrator at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and in senior committee positions on Capitol Hill.
