Federal officials visit Los Alamos

LOS ALAMOS, N.M., July 19 (UPI) -- Federal officials Monday began an investigation into new security lapses at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

Deputy Energy Secretary Kyle McSlarrow and National Nuclear Security Administration Director Linton Brooks met with managers in extensive briefings, lab spokesman Kevin Roark said.

Laboratory Director Peter Nanos halted nearly all operations at Los Alamos last Friday after the University of California ordered all classified work suspended. UC operates Los Alamos under a contract with the Department of Energy.

Two computer disks were discovered missing July 7 from the weapons physics department, sparking the current review, Los Alamos officials said. The disks have not been located.

The Project on Government Oversight, an independent government watchdog group, has also received an unconfirmed report of classified e-mail messages being mishandled at the lab.

Los Alamos did not respond to that specific report, but said such incidents are reported to NNSA and then "properly mitigated" to prevent any risk to national security.