[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3331]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL 
                               LABORATORY

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, today, with my colleague Senator 
Cantwell, we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Pacific Northwest 
National Laboratory, PNNL, a true example of scientific excellence 
located in our home State of Washington. For the past 50 years, PNNL 
has served as the Department of Energy's premier chemistry, 
environmental sciences, and data analytics national laboratory and has 
tackled some of our Nation's most complex and urgent challenges.
  In 1965, Battelle won a contract to operate a research and 
development lab at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington State. 
Then known as Pacific Northwest Laboratory, its scientists provided 
critical support to plutonium production and nuclear waste cleanup at 
Hanford. Through its commitment to excellence and innovation, the lab 
grew and evolved to serve the ever-changing needs of our Nation. In 
1969, the Pacific Northwest Laboratory's scientific prowess caught the 
eye of NASA, which chose the lab to analyze lunar soil samples that 
were collected after landing a man on the Moon. The lab changed its 
name to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 1995, and in 1997 
opened the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory. This state-of-
the-art national scientific user facility provides researchers from 
around the Nation and the world with experimental instruments, a high-
performance supercomputer, and specialized staff allowing them to 
advance energy and environmental discoveries.
  Today, the lab employs 4,300 people at its main Richland campus, the 
marine research facility in Sequim, and in satellite offices in 
Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, and Washington, DC, and conducts $1 billion 
in research annually for the Department of Energy, Department of 
Homeland Security, National Institutes of Health, and many more. While 
it is clear PNNL serves as a cornerstone of the Tri-Cities economy, the 
dedicated staff are also key leaders in the community. The lab has made 
it a priority to invest in STEM education, playing an important role as 
a founding partner in one of Washington State's first STEM high 
schools. Delta High School is now educating our next generation of 
scientists and engineers. In higher education, PNNL supported efforts 
to create a Washington State University branch campus in the region 
which led to WSU Tri-Cities opening its doors in 1989. I am 
consistently impressed with PNNL's contributions to the local 
community.
  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I join my colleague, Senator Murray, in 
commemorating the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's 50th 
anniversary. As our constituents in Washington State know, PNNL is an 
integral part of our economy. The lab has a total economic output of 
$1.3 billion and supports more than 6,800 jobs in Washington. PNNL's 
commitment to commercialization and technology transfer has brought 
research out of the laboratory and into the real world, further 
bolstering PNNL's reputation as a national scientific leader and 
supporting Washington State's economy.
  I am reminded each day how the work at PNNL impacts our daily lives. 
During my visits to the Port of Seattle, I know that PNNL has deployed 
radiation detection systems that keep our ports safe. And when I watch 
a movie at home, I know that the DVD I use is possible because of 
PNNL's advancements in digital data storage technology. Because of 
these and other important contributions, PNNL has earned more Federal 
Laboratory Consortium Awards than any other national laboratory, holds 
more than 2,300 U.S. and foreign patents, and fostered the creation of 
108 spin-off companies that remain open today.
  PNNL plays a unique role in addressing our Nation's energy demands by 
furthering research in climate change, advanced biofuels, and the 
electric grid. In the 1990s, the lab helped create the Global Change 
Assessment Model to help institutions across the world explore the 
impacts of climate change and the different policy proposals to address 
it. The scientists at PNNL have also developed a cutting-edge chemical 
process that transforms algae to crude oil in minutes, a technology 
that could help our Nation reduce its dependence on foreign oil. And 
the lab continues to lead in assessing cyber security threats by 
developing and testing technology to help protect the electric grid. 
With its stellar record of commercializing research, I have no doubt 
that PNNL's work will continue to meet the United States' energy 
challenges in the future.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, together Senator Cantwell and I have been 
proud supporters and advocates for PNNL here in the other Washington, 
working to make sure our colleagues and the administration understand 
the important research it conducts, and the significant contributions 
it makes to the Tri-Cities community. Over the past 50 years, PNNL has 
benefited from a talented and committed staff of scientists, engineers, 
and nontechnical staff, a dedicated and committed operator in Battelle, 
and a strong partner in the Department of Energy. Congratulations to 
PNNL. I know Senator Cantwell and I look forward to PNNL's future 
contributions to Washington State, the Nation, and the world.

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