Ensuring the INL's Long-Term Success

Ensuring the INL's Long-Term Success
By Congressman Simpson

I firmly believe there are four key elements to ensuring Idaho National Laboratory (INL) becomes a vibrant, stable national asset for decades to come. I would like to outline those areas below and provide you with an idea of my vision for the Lab's future.

Nuclear Energy is Our Future:

Just four years ago, a heavy portion of INL's research budget was focused on supporting the nation's cleanup efforts. In short order, the Bush Administration eliminated the cleanup research budget, gave the INEEL poor grades in its budget release, and called for "cleaning up and closing down the lab." Those were dark days - but thanks to a determined workforce, a supportive community, the backing of Congress, and a willingness in the Bush Administration to chart a new course for the DOE's Idaho lab, brighter days are on the horizon.

Those brighter days will, in part, be due to INL's new mission as our nation's command center for nuclear energy research and development. INL is leading an international effort to develop next generation nuclear reactors. Both the House of Representatives and the United States Senate will have overwhelmingly approved the construction of a new demonstration reactor at INL by the end of June. The Office of Nuclear Energy, owners of INL, is seeing increased funding in a time of tight budgets and INL is poised for another good year in the Congressional appropriations process.

While nothing is certain, I firmly believe our nation is on the verge of a nuclear energy renaissance. Environmentalists, including the founder of Greenpeace, are gingerly starting to accept nuclear power as the preferred base-load energy source for the future. They are realizing that new technology will make reactors inherently safe, proliferation proof, efficient, and capable of producing very little waste while at the same time emitting absolutely nothing into the atmosphere. With a growing demand for energy, a national reluctance to build new dams or coal plants, and the high price of natural gas, nuclear energy is really the obvious choice for the future. These factors alone make me optimistic about the nuclear-related future of INL.

A Multi-Program Laboratory is Our Strength:

It's easy to look at INL's national status in nuclear energy and overlook the other impressive research efforts of lab. That would be a terrible mistake. If INL is to succeed in both the short-term and the long-term, it must remain a vibrant multi-program laboratory. In fact, the various non-nuclear energy research and development efforts of INL are some its fastest growing programs.

INL is one of the world's leaders in the protection of our nation's critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks. These outstanding capabilities have resulted in the Department of Homeland Security's roughly $50 million investment in INL over a three-year period. INL is working with NASA to prepare nuclear batteries for its deep space adventures - a mission that is tailor made for the INL's researchers and workforce. INL is one of the national leaders in creating radiation and chemical/biological weapons detection devices to secure our ports and protect our nation against weapons of mass destruction. And INL is heavily involved in efforts to develop new fuels, including bio-fuels and hydrogen, to end our dependence on middle-east oil.

These are just some of the exciting multi-program success stories that form the backbone of and provide stability to INL.

Safe, Effective Cleanup is Our Responsibility:

The future success of INL is directly linked to our ability to safely and effectively remediate the Site and comply with the provisions of the 1995 Settlement Agreement. I am confident, however, that we are headed in the right direction. The ICP's new contractor is moving forward on cleanup of high-level tank waste. Barrel after barrel of transuranic waste is being safely pulled out of PIT-4 at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. And the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project is ramping up to 24 hour days in an aggressive effort to move waste out of Idaho.

These efforts, and many more, are absolutely critical components of ensuring the long-term success of INL.

A Supportive Community and Dedicated Workforce Are Our Great Assets:

One of the most important factors in successfully growing INL is the support of the community and its leaders for the missions of the lab. INL is fortunate to have the strong community and regional support crucial to a stable laboratory. Will there be detractors who oppose new missions at the lab like the construction of a new reactor? Sure. But the support of the community and the workforce for the Lab's ongoing and future missions will speak volumes about what can, and should, be undertaken by INL.

While there will never be an iron-clad guarantee of INL's long-term success, I believe the realities discussed above provide the Lab with the brightest outlook it's had in over a decade.

Now let's all get to work making that bright outlook a reality.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/id02_simpson/INL_oped.html