Darling told the committee that UC is aggressively implementing the changes necessary to strengthen financial controls and improve the governance of the laboratory. He summarized the leadership changes, internal and external audits, revamped governance structures, and improved audit and accountability processes that UC has implemented at Los Alamos.

Committee members asked a range of questions, largely focusing on the purchases of various items at the laboratory, management responses to employees who questioned those purchases, and UC's actions to rectify the problems. In response, Darling stated his intention to pursue "vigorously and immediately" any new information from the hearing, to implement reforms at the laboratory in a sustained way with "rigor, discipline and relentlessness," and to restore full confidence in UC management.

Darling also emphasized the importance of the science and security missions of the UC-managed national laboratories -- particularly at this critical time in world events -- and expressed regret that the business and administrative problems at Los Alamos have detracted from the high-quality work of the laboratory's scientists, engineers, technicians, and support personnel.

"Managing the national security laboratories for the last 60 years has been an honor and an awesome responsibility, and we will address any challenges that might detract from our ability to fulfill our obligations to the American people," Darling told the committee.

The text of Senior Vice President Darling's testimony is available on the web at http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/losalamos/0203hearing.html. A new edition of the UC-produced "Lab Update" newsletter for the laboratory community also will be posted there shortly.