The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“RECOGNIZING THE WORKERS AT THE ADVANCED MIXED WASTE TREATMENT PLANT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1263-E1264 on Oct. 8, 2019.
The Department oversees energy policies and is involved in how the US handles nuclear programs. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department's misguided energy regulations have caused large losses to consumers for decades.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING THE WORKERS AT THE ADVANCED MIXED WASTE TREATMENT PLANT
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HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON
of idaho
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today with great respect and gratitude for the 480 men and women of the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP) as they complete the facility's waste treatment mission for the State of Idaho and the country.
The State of Idaho didn't generate the waste treated at AMWTP, but the citizens of Idaho along with the entire nation benefitted from our nation's unrelenting drive to keep the peace through our strength. In many ways, the waste that the AMWTP team retrieved, characterized, treated, certified, and shipped out of the state was the byproduct of our freedom. It was the legacy of the Cold War. Through their hard work, dedication, and sacrifices, they helped close the chapter on this part of the Cold War.
In addition to the AMWTP employees, we owe Idaho governors Cecil Andrus, John Evans, Dirk Kempthorne, Jim Risch, Phil Batt, C.L.
``Butch'' Otter, and Brad Little a great thanks for their insistence that this waste would not remain in Idaho in perpetuity over our precious Snake River Plain Aquifer. Our aquifer, our citizens, and our nation are safer with this waste safely disposed of at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
We also owe the Department of Energy (DOE) a heartfelt thank you for committing to this project in the mid-1990s and staying with it until the end. It wasn't easy; it wasn't without contention or disagreements, but all sides worked together for a common goal of success.
The contractors that have been associated with the AMWTP also must be recognized, from BNFL Inc., to Bechtel BWXT, to the Idaho Treatment Group, to the current contractor; Fluor Idaho. The amount of ingenuity, engineering, and technology at this waste treatment facility is unmatched anywhere else in the world. AMWTP, backed by the DOE and its contractors and committed management and employees, had the brawn and brains to complete its transuranic debris waste treatment mission.
But none of this would have been possible without the men and women of the AMWTP. Each and every one of them made sacrifices to support this mission. They sacrificed quality time with family members to commute to the facility in the early hours of the morning, often leaving at night--never seeing the light of day. They knew they were effectively working themselves out of a job, just as all employees of the Idaho Cleanup Project are doing.
The employees of the AMWTP should be the models for the entire workforce of the DOE Complex. When they encountered challenging waste types and containers, they developed the procedures and processes to safely and compliantly address them. When the specialized equipment didn't exist, they fabricated it, tested it, and put it to work. They adapted and found solutions to the most complex challenges they encountered.
Several more years will be needed to ship out the balance of the 65,000 cubic meters of waste to WIPP. For those who stay with the project, the Idaho Congressional Delegation wishes them the best of luck in safely carrying out the remainder of the shipping mission.
For those who retire, take other jobs in Idaho, or leave to pursue opportunities elsewhere, we wish them the best of luck and again sincerely say thank you. AMWTP and the impact of its workforce to the State of Idaho and the nation will be remembered for generations to come.
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