WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Pete Domenici today issued the following statement regarding news of a partnership between the University of California and Bechtel National to join the competition to manage Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The University of California currently holds the Department of Energy contract to manage the lab. Thus far other announced bidders are Lockheed Martin Corporation and a Northrop Grumman and General Atomics partnership.

”The University of California has provided a solid science background to Los Alamos, as well as a highly regarded academic foundation. By partnering with a group headed by Bechtel National, UC is bringing a strong management team with extensive experience managing challenging projects on board.

”I welcome the UC-Bechtel bid, and am pleased with the high level of competition and quality of announced bids so far to manage the lab.”

Bechtel will be joined by BWX Technologies and Washington Group International, which will handle business management and industrial operations aspects of the bid.

In March, the University of California announced it would partner with a consortium of New Mexico schools, including the University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University and New Mexico Tech, to form the Advanced Studies Institute at LANL.