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“TRIBUTE TO JAMES R. COOPER” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Senate section on pages S4397 on July 10, 2014.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO JAMES R. COOPER
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, my colleague Senator Jim Risch joins me today in honoring James R. Cooper, who is retiring from the U.S. Department of Energy, DOE, where he was a great asset to Idaho during his tenure with the Idaho Operations Office.
Jim is retiring as deputy manager for the Idaho Cleanup Project. His responsibilities have included management of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste and the exhumation and disposal of cold-
war era buried transuranic waste. His work advancing the environmental cleanup mission at the site has helped reduce risk to workers, the public, and the environment. It has also continued protection of the Snake River Plain Aquifer. Through his leadership, environmental cleanup projects have been finished ahead of schedule and under cost, which has enabled resources to be reinvested into furthering the cleanup efforts. Jim's commitment to timely and cost-effective management is commendable.
Prior to his position with the Idaho Cleanup Project, Jim worked as the facility and material disposition program manager and was responsible for ensuring the safe and compliant deactivation and decommissioning of nuclear test reactors and other retired nuclear facilities at the Idaho National Laboratory. During this time, he helped lead the cleanup team in successful deactivation and decommissioning projects at the Idaho Site. This included a visionary change in the approach of cleanup at the site.
Under Jim's management Idaho crews decontaminated and decommissioned more than 200 facilities. Recognizing this hard work, the Idaho contamination and decommissioning project was awarded the 2013 Secretary's Excellence and Achievement Award for completion of the project's work scope ahead of schedule and under budget. Jim is well respected for his strong leadership and ability to develop relationships and communications that are instrumental in advancing cleanup.
Thank you, Jim, for your more than 30 years of service, including 22 years of project management within DOE. You made great progress in the critical effort of cleanup. As you retire, you are truly leaving our State and Nation in better condition. Current and future generations will benefit from your hard work. You have much to be proud of for a job well done. Congratulations on your retirement. We thank you for your outstanding service and wish you all the best.
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