[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 12, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S7540]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RETIREMENT OF DR. JAMES A. LAKE

 Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I wish to acknowledge a special 
milestone in the career of one of the truly great nuclear energy 
luminaries of our time. I am speaking of the retirement of Dr. James A. 
Lake of Idaho National Laboratory.
  During his nearly quarter-century of service to Idaho National 
Laboratory--and by extension, to all of America--Dr. Lake has applied 
his exceptional technical and managerial expertise to some of this 
Nation's highest priority research and development initiatives in the 
nuclear energy arena. From leading the design team that developed an 
innovative ultra-high-flux research reactor concept early in his Idaho 
career, to guiding the establishment of the U.S./Russian International 
Centers for Environmental Safety later on, Dr. Lake's contributions 
have had an extraordinary impact.
  As the elected president of the American Nuclear Society at the start 
of the 21st century, Dr. Lake did much to usher in the nuclear 
renaissance now sweeping the globe. In a single year, he personally 
visited 11 countries, a dozen universities, and more than 20 nuclear 
powerplants and nuclear facilities around the world. He also gave 
countless interviews with major television, newspaper, and magazine 
journalists--representing CNBC, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington 
Post, BusinessWeek and others--to help them better understand nuclear 
power's unique abilities to dependably generate massive amounts of 
electricity--around the clock, rain or shine--without generating any of 
the greenhouse gases that are now of such global concern.
  Beyond his contributions to INL and the American Nuclear Society, Dr. 
Lake has also left his indelible mark of excellence on countless other 
organizations and activities ranging from the American Association of 
Engineering Societies to the International Nuclear Societies Council. 
He holds patents on ``An Inherently Safe Fast Breeder Reactor'' and 
other key nuclear technologies and has more than 35 publications in 
refereed journals and conference proceedings.
  Dr. James A. Lake--scientist, research leader, nuclear energy 
visionary, and gentleman--leaves a legacy of growth, safety, and 
success in the nuclear programs at INL, for which the laboratory, the 
great State of Idaho, and the Nation will be forever grateful. I extend 
my best wishes to Dr. Lake as he retires from INL and moves on to the 
next chapter of his remarkable life.

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