[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 153 (Thursday, September 13, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING THE TRANSIENT REACTOR TEST FACILITY RESTART

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 13, 2018

  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I along with my colleagues Senator Mike 
Crapo and James Risch, I rise today to call attention to an important 
event taking place today at the U.S. Department of Energy's, DOE, 890-
square mile site in Idaho. Today, Idaho National Laboratory, INL, 
personnel ran the first experiments in the Transient Reactor Test, 
TREAT, facility in nearly a quarter century.
  Idaho National Laboratory is our nation's lead nuclear energy 
research, development and demonstration laboratory, the place where 52 
original nuclear reactors were constructed and demonstrated. One of 
those reactors was the TREAT facility, which operated from 1959 to 
1994, and remained fully fueled while on standby status. Transient 
testing focuses upon testing nuclear fuel under accident conditions. 
TREAT is one of the most capable and flexible transient test reactors 
in the world.
  Following the accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi Power Plant in Japan 
seven years ago, Congress directed the DOE to develop reactor fuels 
that could better withstand accident conditions. During TREAT's 35 
operating years, the reactor performed 6,604 reactor startups and 2,884 
transient irradiations. Given this history, it made more sense to 
restart the facility than build a new reactor. That decision paid off 
when, on Aug. 31, 2017, the Resumption of Transient Testing Program was 
completed more than one year ahead of schedule and approximately $17 
million under budget.
  This highly successful restart at the TREAT facility was recognized 
in August, when a joint DOE-INL team won the Secretary of Energy Award. 
This award recognizes DOE employees or contractors who accomplish 
significant achievements. It is the highest non-monetary internal 
recognition that can be achieved at the DOE. U.S. Secretary of Energy 
Rick Perry highlighted the TREAT restart team's effort and efficiency, 
and recognized the importance of the facility to nuclear energy 
scientists and engineers as they work to develop advanced nuclear fuels 
and reactor technologies.
  Congratulations, INL and DOE, on the TREAT restart and for bringing 
back online an important national asset in the effort to develop the 
advanced nuclear reactors so vital to our economy, environment and 
national security.

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