[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18846]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY

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                           HON. DOC HASTINGS

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 11, 2014

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition 
of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which is celebrating a 
half-century of innovation and achievement in American research and 
development.
  For 50 years, the men and women at PNNL have worked diligently to 
make the Lab a leader among the scientific foundations of the United 
States, evolving from a laboratory supporting a nuclear materials 
development mission to a multi program national laboratory with 
significant portfolios in science, energy, and nonproliferation.
  When America went to the moon in 1969, NASA chose the lab (then 
called the Pacific Northwest Laboratory, or PNL) as the only Northwest 
organization to analyze the lunar material from the Apollo program, and 
their work became critical to understanding the origin and history of 
the moon. Additionally, their research had many applications outside of 
the laboratory. In 1974, they developed a data storage technique called 
optical digital recording, and became the pioneer of a technology still 
popular with consumers today--CDs and DVDs.
  Their commitment to the environment has consistently been a driving 
force in work they do. When Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980, PNL was 
ready. Because of their expertise in environmental sampling and 
monitoring, researchers were able to collect samples of the ash and 
assess potential threats to health and the environment. After the 1986 
disaster at Chernobyl, they were assigned the lead role in collecting 
air samples of the fallout using special research aircraft. They also 
helped to monitor the radiation levels in the plume after it arrived in 
America. And, in the early 1990s, PNL helped create the Global Change 
Assessment Model (GCAM). This model is now widely used around the 
world, and demonstrates the true impact of the laboratory's work on an 
international scale.
  In 1995, they changed their name to the Pacific Northwest National 
Laboratory--a suitable switch, since they had always been a national 
lab making national impacts. Two years later, they opened the 
Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL), a national 
scientific user facility, which narrows the gap between theoretical 
molecular modelling and practical physical experimentation. Since its 
opening, EMSL has welcomed scientific users from every state, and 
nearly 30 countries.
  In the early 2000s, PNNL began to focus on updating the 
infrastructure of the United States' century-old electric grid, and 
incorporating it into the information age. They continue to be a leader 
in testing and developing new technology to manage and protect the 
grid, especially from new cybersecurity threats. Some of their most 
recent scientific missions include increasing U.S. energy capacity, and 
reducing dependence on imported oil; preventing and countering 
terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and 
creating sustainable systems, reducing the environmental effects of 
human activities.
  Closer to home, PNNL created a suite of modern facilities to support 
its national and international customers using Battelle, federal, State 
and third party funds . . . a complex unique in the DOE laboratory 
system. The Consolidated Laboratory complex allowed PNNL to vacate 
older facilities that were on the Hanford site.
  PNNL developed and supported efforts to create a WSU Branch Campus in 
the Tri Cities, including joint appointments and federal/state 
partnership for a research laboratory on the WSU campus. PNNL has been 
a strong supporter of STEM education programs throughout Washington 
State, including early funding to build the Delta Prep school in the 
Tri-Cities.
  I want to thank the generations of hardworking men and women who 
helped bring PNNL this far. I am proud of the Pacific Northwest 
National Laboratory, its work, and the boundless spirit of American 
innovation that has made it possible for the last 50 years.

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