Issue Position: Energy/INEEL

Issue Position

The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced its decision to compete and award separate contracts for the cleanup and research work at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) and Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANLW).

The combined laboratory, which will be renamed the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), will specialize in developing advanced nuclear energy technologies and other ways of responding to the nation's future energy and national security requirements. The Department's Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology will manage the lab. The detailed scope of the laboratory contract is currently in development, but as currently envisioned, the laboratory will be composed of the current Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory-West, and its work will include:

* Assembling the capabilities to deliver the research and advance the design for a prototype Generation IV nuclear energy system,

* Establishing a strong science and technology leadership team that will partner with the Department to pursue its nuclear technology and security vision for the laboratory,

* Integrating Idaho's current nuclear energy capabilities under a single, future-focused, management.

The successful bidder for the lab contract is expected to manage the laboratory's research and development programs, operate its nuclear facilities and general infrastructure, and provide services and required support to other users of the site.

The environmental cleanup scope, under the direction of the Department's Office of Environmental Management, is expected to include the remediation of legacy wastes and disposition of surplus facilities at the site. Work is expected to be managed on a project basis, focused on prioritizing risk reduction.

Like many in eastern Idaho, I am uncomfortable with drastic change and the instability that can accompany decisions such as this. That having been said, I also realize the new INL is headed into an exciting new era and accepting a reinvigorated mission significantly different from the work envisioned in the current contract.

Unfortunately, the INEEL has been lacking a clear mission crucial to the nation's future for quite some time. Cleaning up legacy waste is not a long-term mission, but a responsibility of the federal government that will some day come to an end. The DOE's decision will put in place a strong foundation for the INL's future and will challenge bidders to focus on specific aspects of the site's work. One set of bidders will be focused on cleanup while another set of bidders will be able to focus solely on growing the lab and cementing the INL's future as the nation's command center for nuclear energy research and development.

As one of Idaho's Representatives in Washington, I have been directly involved in the year-to-year funding battle the Idaho Delegation must undertake just to keep the INEEL and ANLW alive. These battles have become increasingly difficult because of the vague long-term mission of the INEEL and increasing competition for limited federal resources. Securing the long-term vitality of the INEEL means taking bold, aggressive action to build and grow a mission important to our nation's future and to create a laboratory in which the DOE is willing to invest taxpayer dollars. I believe nuclear energy research and development will be that mission and I believe restructuring the contract and the site in the way DOE has suggested will be a catalyst for reaching our goals.

Due to continuing uncertainty in the electricity sector and our nation's refusal to end its reliance on foreign sources of energy, I am convinced now more than ever that a renewed commitment to nuclear power is vital to our nation's energy and national security. The INEEL and ANLW are the nation's lead nuclear energy research laboratories. Research into new reactor designs and the nuclear fuel cycle represent the site's past and present - and will now be the centerpiece of the site's future.

Among the important new activities the INL will undertake are a waste transportation initiative, a leadership role on the Generation IV nuclear reactor and the nuclear fuel cycle, cooperation with NASA on the development of a space nuclear propulsion system, a growing role in national security technologies, and the potential design, construction, and operation of a prototype nuclear reactor that produces both electricity and hydrogen. The site has also become the new home of the joint DOE/NASA space batteries program. I fully expect this dramatic shift in the focus for the new INL will bring new missions, new jobs, and new opportunities to eastern Idaho over time.

While these important efforts represent a great deal of activity at the INEEL and ANLW, there are many other initiatives that must be addressed in the coming weeks, months, and years. I believe the site is poised to play a crucial role in our nation's increased focus on national security. The events of September 11 and the resulting examination of our national security deficiencies have facilitated a redirection of national priorities toward threat identification, minimization, and prevention. The combined INL's expertise, size, and remote location make it an ideal candidate for additional work on the protection of our nation's critical infrastructure including energy, transportation, communication, and water systems. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the INL will play a vital role in our efforts to secure our borders, identify potential threats, combat weapons proliferation abroad, and protect the citizens of our great nation.

I remain optimistic about the future of the INL and its contribution to our nation's energy future. Securing the site's future and expanding its economic reach in eastern Idaho will require a lot of hard work and sacrifice. In the end, however, I believe the quality workforce, supportive region, and important national mission will combine to ensure the long-term vitality of the INL.

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