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SpatialNews.com Press Release
 Wireless News - Business News - Feature Columns
Department of Energy Establishes Fund to Help Los Alamos Employees Impacted by FireU.S. Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson today announced the establishment of a disaster relief fund intended to help federal and contractor employees of the Department of Energy's Los Alamos Area Office and contractor employees at the department's Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The Department of Energy (DOE) Northern New Mexico Fire Recovery Fund will begin accepting donations on Monday. "The Department of Energy has an obligation to help our federal and contractor employees as well as the communities suffering because of the fire," said Richardson. "While there are relief agencies providing on-the-spot assistance, we know this will be a long and difficult recovery process for our employees and surrounding communities. This fund is intended to assist our employees and communities as they will surely face many unforseen and uncovered expenses in the coming months." Richardson established this special fund following his visit to Los Alamos last Thursday. The Northern New Mexico Fire Recovery Fund is authorized to accept gifts from all public and private sources. Donations are tax deductible. Richardson has directed the department's Chief Financial Officer to administer the fund. An Executive Board will be designated to accept and review applications and distribute the fund. Financial donations can be forwarded to: U.S. Department of Energy Checks should be made payable to the Department of Energy and indicate they are for the Fire Recovery Fund. The DOE's Los Alamos Area Office suffered smoke damage from the fire, and will remain closed until safety engineers determine the building is safe to occupy. In the meantime, the department is planning to temporarily relocate the Los Alamos Area Office to the LANL administration building, once the lab is back in operation. The DOE's Los Alamos Area Office employs 65 workers, of which 56 are U.S. government salaried employees and 9 are contract hourly workers. The department is in the process of trying to contact Los Alamos Area Office employees to schedule an all-hands staff meeting to explain how the office will operate in the days and weeks ahead, assess employees' needs and provide employees with information about available assistance including detailed information about how to apply for funds from the Northern New Mexico Fire Recovery Fund. Los Alamos Area Office employees who have not yet been contacted by DOE are urged to phone the department's Albuquerque Operations Office at 505-845-6036. While the Los Alamos National Laboratory is a Department of Energy operation, its approximately 8,000 employees are contract workers and are not U.S. government employees. Richardson praised the University of California, the prime contractor at LANL, for unveiling a comprehensive emergency response plan which includes a $150,000 relief-fund donation, low interest loans, an expanded leave with pay policy and additional counseling services. "Everyone associated with the Department of Energy has been saddened by the fire's destruction and recognizes that the road to recovery will be a long one," added Richardson. "The community has my assurances that the Department of Energy will do everything within its powers to help our employees, our contractors and the impacted communities." www.doe.gov
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