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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1263-E1264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE WORKERS AT THE ADVANCED MIXED WASTE TREATMENT PLANT
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HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON
of idaho
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today with great respect and
gratitude for the 480 men and women of the Advanced Mixed Waste
Treatment Project (AMWTP) as they complete the facility's waste
treatment mission for the State of Idaho and the country.
The State of Idaho didn't generate the waste treated at AMWTP, but
the citizens of Idaho along with the entire nation benefitted from our
nation's unrelenting drive to keep the peace through our strength. In
many ways, the waste that the AMWTP team retrieved, characterized,
treated, certified, and shipped out of the state was the byproduct of
our freedom. It was the legacy of the Cold War. Through their hard
work, dedication, and sacrifices, they helped close the chapter on this
part of the Cold War.
In addition to the AMWTP employees, we owe Idaho governors Cecil
Andrus, John Evans, Dirk Kempthorne, Jim Risch, Phil Batt, C.L.
``Butch'' Otter, and Brad Little a great thanks for their insistence
that this waste would not remain in Idaho in perpetuity over our
precious Snake River Plain Aquifer. Our aquifer, our citizens, and our
nation are safer with this waste safely disposed of at the Waste
Isolation Pilot Plant.
We also owe the Department of Energy (DOE) a heartfelt thank you for
committing to this project in the mid-1990s and staying with it until
the end. It wasn't easy; it wasn't without contention or disagreements,
but all sides worked together for a common goal of success.
The contractors that have been associated with the AMWTP also must be
recognized, from BNFL Inc., to Bechtel BWXT, to the Idaho Treatment
Group, to the current contractor; Fluor Idaho. The amount of ingenuity,
engineering, and technology at this waste treatment facility is
unmatched anywhere else in the world. AMWTP, backed by the DOE and its
contractors and committed management and employees, had the brawn and
brains to
[[Page E1264]]
complete its transuranic debris waste treatment mission.
But none of this would have been possible without the men and women
of the AMWTP. Each and every one of them made sacrifices to support
this mission. They sacrificed quality time with family members to
commute to the facility in the early hours of the morning, often
leaving at night--never seeing the light of day. They knew they were
effectively working themselves out of a job, just as all employees of
the Idaho Cleanup Project are doing.
The employees of the AMWTP should be the models for the entire
workforce of the DOE Complex. When they encountered challenging waste
types and containers, they developed the procedures and processes to
safely and compliantly address them. When the specialized equipment
didn't exist, they fabricated it, tested it, and put it to work. They
adapted and found solutions to the most complex challenges they
encountered.
Several more years will be needed to ship out the balance of the
65,000 cubic meters of waste to WIPP. For those who stay with the
project, the Idaho Congressional Delegation wishes them the best of
luck in safely carrying out the remainder of the shipping mission.
For those who retire, take other jobs in Idaho, or leave to pursue
opportunities elsewhere, we wish them the best of luck and again
sincerely say thank you. AMWTP and the impact of its workforce to the
State of Idaho and the nation will be remembered for generations to
come.
____________________