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.
“PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Senate section on pages S2343 on April 8, 2011.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I wanted to take a few minutes to share with my colleagues a success story involving the building of a Federal laboratory project with funds from three separate Federal agencies.
Several years ago, as part of the efforts to remediate some of the excess facilities at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in my home State of Washington, the Department of Energy decided to tear down virtually all of the laboratory facilities in the so-called 300 Area to remediate and make the area available for future industrial uses.
We all shared the goal of cleaning up the 300 Area--it is an important part of the ongoing cleanup work at Hanford. But because the 300 Area was home to approximately 1,000 scientists, engineers and support staff for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PNNL, we know that we would have to find a new place for them to conduct their work.
As I am sure you know, building a replacement laboratory to accommodate 1,000 people is no easy task under any set of circumstances. And the broad spectrum of work being done by these scientists--national security, homeland security, science research--
both increased the challenge and brought a number of Federal agencies together. This unique situation brought together three agencies--the Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security--to create a unique solution, building the Physical Sciences Facility.
This arrangement--three separate agencies with funding in two separate appropriations bills--isn't common in the Federal Government and isn't easy to accomplish. But with a lot of hard work, the $225 million Physical Sciences Facility was constructed on time and within budget over 5 years' time. It has allowed the unique capabilities at PNNL to continue to be able to support critical missions for several government agencies.
I appreciate the leadership of PNNL Director Len Peters and Mike Lawrence, followed by Director Mike Kluse, who were determined to make the Physical Sciences Facility a reality. I would also like to recognize Carrie Desmond and Doug Clapp, both of whom used to work on my staff, for helping to make this project happen in the face of odds that were unbelievable at times, including budget requests that were not always sufficient to keep the project on schedule.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the dedication of the new laboratory on April 19, but I will be there in spirit. I congratulate all of the people at PNNL, the Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security who have worked to make the Physical Sciences Facility at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory an important asset for the Federal Government.
____________________
