It's not yet clear what sort of economic punch reduced staff and less thorough inventory checks have had on the amount of equipment carted away from Hanford each year. Losses directly tied to thefts have been inconsistent. Solar panels, a flatbed trailer, air monitors and even government-issue bicycles ridden between buildings all have been lifted over the past three years. But computers are the most likely to be snatched. Many are plucked from employees' cars, said Earlan Leitz, manager of asset management for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, operated by Battelle.
Any loss is too high but generally the trend seems to be downward.
Copyright 1997 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.