[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 21, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3054-S3055]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO RETIRING LEADERSHIP OFFICIALS AT THE IDAHO CLEANUP PROJECT
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, with my colleagues Senator Jim Risch and
Representative Simpson, I recognize the careers and service of Mark
Brown, Maria Mitchell-Williams, Michael Goriup, Jennifer Cate, Doug
Pruitt, and Mark Jones, instrumental leaders for the Idaho Cleanup
Project, ICP. With more than 140 combined years of experience, these
individuals have been integral contributors to the U.S. Department of
Energy, DOE, and the ICP.
With more than 40 years of experience in nuclear operations and
environmental restoration, Mark C. Brown has made a lasting impact on
the Nation's environmental cleanup mission. Since joining DOE in 1995,
he has held several senior leadership positions, most recently serving
as manager of the ICP, where he led critical efforts to safely treat,
store, and dispose of radioactive and hazardous waste, remove legacy
buried waste and oversee the removal of spent nuclear fuel and high-
level waste from Idaho. His career reflects a deep commitment to
safety, operational excellence, and environmental stewardship,
demonstrated through his roles at both the Idaho Site and Office of
River Protection. Prior to his civilian service, Mr. Brown served with
distinction as a nuclear submarine officer in the U.S. Navy.
Maria Mitchell-Williams provided outstanding leadership throughout
her career, most recently as deputy manager for the ICP, where she
oversaw the complex cleanup work at the Idaho National Laboratory, INL,
Site. Previously, she served as assistant manager for business and
acquisition management, applying more than 20 years of experience in
contract oversight, budget management, and workforce planning,
including administration of the $6.4 billion ICP End State contract.
Her work encompassed leading high-impact efforts in contract
management, project controls, budget, and workforce oversight, while
also driving strategic coordination between the Office of Environmental
Management and the Office of Nuclear Energy to ensure mission alignment
and operational success. With a strong foundation in business, human
resources, and level III certifications in acquisition and financial
assistance, Ms. Mitchell-Williams' service has significantly advanced
DOE's cleanup mission.
With more than 34 years of dedicated service to the DOE and nearly
40-plus years of experience in the nuclear field, Michael Goriup has
been a vital leader in advancing the mission of the ICP. Since joining
DOE Idaho in 1990, he has held key roles including program manager for
the Idaho Nuclear Technology
[[Page S3055]]
and Engineering Center, INTEC, construction project manager, facility
engineer at the Advanced Test Reactor Complex, and as a facility
representative qualified across all INL facilities. In 2012, he was
promoted to supervisor of the facility representatives team, where he
led a group of facility representatives providing critical oversight of
ICP operations, safety, and support activities. Under his leadership
members of his staff were awarded four DOE Complex Facility
Representative of the Year Awards. His Federal service was preceded by
9 years in the U.S. Navy, where he served in a nuclear submarine fleet
as an electronics technician. Mr. Goriup's commitment to safety,
technical excellence, and mission success has left a meaningful legacy
at DOE Idaho.
Doug Pruitt, assistant manager for environment and waste programs at
the ICP, has provided 20 years of environmental restoration and waste
management, starting as a college intern, Mr. Pruitt completed his
career as a senior manager with ICP. Mr. Pruitt has overseen critical
cleanup efforts at the INL site, including the exhumation and disposal
of transuranic waste, soil and groundwater remediation, and facility
demolition. He has also played a key role in waste disposal systems,
such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act, CERCLA, waste disposal cell and the evapotranspiration
cap over waste disposal areas. Mr. Pruitt has been instrumental in
leading procurement efforts for the past two ICP contracts and served
as transition manager for the ICP end state contract.
Jennifer K. Cate, who concluded her notable Federal service as the
acting assistant manager for business and acquisition management at the
ICP, played a key role in overseeing the project cost and analysis and
contract management teams, which provided essential services including
budget formulation, financial management, and contracting for the $6.4
billion ICP end state indefinite delivery indefinite quantity, IDIQ,
contract. With more than 30 years of contract management experience,
she developed innovative business strategies and cost-effective
solutions to support the successful execution of the ICP mission.
Holding level III certifications in acquisition and financial
assistance, her leadership and expertise were critical to the success
of the project and the broader DOE mission.
Mark Jones served with dedication as the chief of staff for the ICP,
bringing a strong background in project controls to the DOE. With 17
years of Federal civilian service and more than 20 years in the U.S.
Air Force, retiring as a major in the Air Force Reserve, he has
provided consistent leadership, coordination, and support across a wide
range of mission-critical functions. Mr. Jones played a key role in
integrating project baseline planning and performance metrics that
supported the safe and timely execution of environmental cleanup
activities under the ICP end state contract. Mr. Jones' professionalism
and commitment to the ICP mission have made him a valued leader and
colleague throughout his career.
The careers of Mark Brown, Maria Mitchell-Williams, Mike Goriup, Doug
Pruitt, Jennifer Cate, and Mark Jones reflect an unwavering dedication
to public service, technical excellence, and mission success to the
American people. Throughout their distinguished service, these
individuals provided oversight and leadership on some of the most
significant accomplishments at the ICP, including the completion of
exhumation and retrieval of buried waste at the radioactive waste
management complex, the startup of the integrated waste treatment unit,
the successful transfer of spent nuclear fuel from wet to dry storage,
and the awarding of multiple major contracts for managing the cleanup
mission. Collectively, they were responsible for the management and
disposition of high-level waste, transuranic waste, and spent nuclear
fuel at the INL Site. They provided executive oversight of a $470
million annual budget, 52 Federal employees, and more than 1,900
contractor personnel. As they enter retirement, we honor their lasting
contributions and thank them for their tireless efforts to advance the
DOE's environmental cleanup mission and serve the people of Idaho and
the Nation.
It is our great honor to congratulate these individuals on their
accomplishments and thank them for the many years of service. We wish
them the best of luck following their retirement from DOE and the Idaho
Cleanup Project.
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