Recently, ECA lost a real local government/community leader Dr. Frances Berting (1927 -2024). Councilor Berting, Council Chair Berting, ECA
Treasurer Berting and someone with many more titles in her life was a real inspirational leader.
As the Executive Director of Energy Communities Alliance, I
worked with Fran for almost a decade. She was thoughtful, forceful, and cared deeply about her community. Having lived in Richland, WA (Benton County, WA) prior to moving to Los Alamos, NM, Fran knew and understood the original Manhattan Project communities and the people that worked in those communities.
When you met Fran, she was initially quiet, but her wit and intelligence won everyone over. She obtained her Ph.D. and studied metallurgy in Argentina and later brought her expertise to the US national laboratories, including, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Hanford Laboratory (now PNNL), and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
I attended a meeting with Fran and (at the time new) NNSA Administrator, Ambassador Linton Brooks on NNSA’s proposed closure of the main lab road in Los Alamos
County. The County wanted the road to remain open for access – as it has been since the County was formed as it is a critical access point for people that live in the County. NNSA local leadership (as can be typical) told her and the County the road would close and no one would have access to the research park, the Jemez Springs nor the Ski Hill through this main access area. There was nothing that the County could do (“this is for national security” – so the County has no say in the
matter).The County leadership traveled to Washington, D.C. and in meetings with Ambassador Brooks, Senator Domenici and Senator Bingaman and Fran said she would recommend that the County sue NNSA and stop the project. All told her in direct meetings not to sue NNSA and that it would negatively impact the County and Lab (this is 20 years ago). She did not back down and told each one of them again – they had their choice to leave the road open or face legal action by the County (I still
remember this as Ambassador Brooks handed Fran tea on china in his office at DOE headquarters). The County filed the suit soon after the meeting and with the help of the federal court and the NM Congressional delegation, the County received funds for new by-pass roads, new access to the research park and that road has stayed open. She never backed down when taking action for the County.
Fran also worked on other important activities for ECA and the County and always clearly articulated that the communities need to be the priority in working with DOE and NNSA and the individual labs. The Community and lab successes are tied together, and
the partnerships are critical for each of their success.
In April 2013 Fran testified before Congress for Energy Communities Alliance and the Los Alamos
Historical Society on H.R. 1208, a bill to establish the Manhattan Project National Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Hanford, Washington, and for other purposes. She identified to the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation, Committee on Natural Resources the importance of the Bill and the option for the Park to have more land donated and added. She met extensively with the other communities supporting the Park and each of their federal
delegations.
