OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Recognizing the Leadership of Ty Blackford

Floor Speech

Date: Nov. 12, 2024
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, along with my colleagues Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, I rise to recognize the leadership of Ty Blackford within his roles as President and Program Manager at the Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC).

During his time as President and Program Manager at IEC, Ty Blackford led his team to advance the cleanup mission at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Idaho National Laboratory Site (INL). Under his leadership, in 2022, IEC completed the exhumation of legacy waste at the Site's Subsurface Disposal Area 18 months ahead of schedule. Following the demolition of two ancillary structures at the Naval Reactors Facility, his team began demolition of the Submarine 1st Generation Westinghouse reactor prototype and recycled more than 420 tons of non-radiological metals. In 2023, Ty's team completed the transfer of spent nuclear fuel from wet to dry storage nine months ahead of schedule.

In 2024, Ty led the IEC team to complete the Accelerated Retrieval Project, one of the largest demolition projects completed in the history of DOE's environmental cleanup program. The project was completed three months ahead of schedule and under budget. In all, workers demolished more than 520,000 square feet of building space, which is equivalent to three times the footprint of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

Under Ty's leadership, operations began at the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit in 2023 as well. To date, the project has processed over 100,000 gallons of sodium-bearing waste. These most recent accomplishments have paved the way for DOE to meet two significant milestones outlined in the Idaho Settlement Agreement for the State of Idaho.

Each of these accomplishments speak to Ty's 30-plus years of experience leading and managing large and complex projects for DOE's cleanup and nuclear operations programs at sites across the Nation, including the Idaho Cleanup Project, Savannah River, Hanford and Oak Ridge. He has set the bar high for future leaders and has established a baseline for success, of which Idaho can be proud.

We thank Ty Blackford for his diligence in his role as President and Program Manager at IEC and for his accomplishments in the cleanup mission at INL.

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