Lawmakers call for investigation of security procedures at Los Alamos
Two computer disks with classified information are reported missing from the lab and there are claims of e-mail violations.
Some lawmakers on Thursday expressed frustration and concern over the recent security breach at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
House members urged Undersecretary of Energy for National Security Linton Brooks to launch a criminal investigation into the laboratory's security procedures.
"There is an ongoing culture at Los Alamos that security procedures are an unnecessary nuisance and can be ignored," Rep. Terry Everett, R-Ala., said.
Two computer disks with classified information are reported missing from the lab and there are claims of e-mail violations.
Nineteen employees have been put on leave as a criminal investigation moves forward. The contract to run Los Alamos is currently in the competition process.
"The ability of a contractor to meet laboratory security requirements should be a key factor in the contract award," Everett and Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, wrote in a letter to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham.