"We are very excited about the opportunity to pursue the contract to manage and operate INL, an outstanding laboratory and tremendous national asset," said Dr. Carl Kohrt, President and CEO, Battelle. "Our team has a strong track record in the effective management of major laboratories, brings an absolutely world-class science and technology record, has considerable experience at INL, and offers a wide array of collaborations with partners in science and technology, nuclear power, universities, and industry."

"Bringing together the outstanding staff and facility capabilities of the INL and ANL-W to create a future INL that is synonymous with International Nuclear Leadership is an exciting opportunity," Kohrt added. "We would be very proud to be the operator at INL."

The non-profit Battelle is one of the world's largest, private, independent research and development organizations. Each year, it assists approximately 1,000 industrial and government clients with more than 3,500 projects-including a strong focus on science and technology solutions and the development of new technologies. In addition to its own private laboratories in locations such as Columbus, Ohio and Aberdeen, Maryland, Battelle manages or co-manages four National Laboratories for the U.S. Department of Energy-Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Richland, Washington); the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Golden Colorado); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, Tennessee); and Brookhaven National Laboratory (Upton, New York).

Battelle, with the national labs it manages or co-manages, oversees 16,000 staff members and conducts $3 billion in annual research and development. As a non-profit charitable trust, Battelle distributes 20 percent of its net income back to the communities it serves, with a special emphasis on education, economic development, arts and culture, and human services.

Among Battelle's successes are the development of the office copier machine (Xerox); pioneering work on technology for the compact disc; development of prototypes of fuel elements for the first nuclear submarine (the Nautilus); numerous energy, environmental, and national security innovations; and medical technology advancements.

BWXT manages high-consequence nuclear and national security production facilities and is a principal supplier of nuclear components and advanced energy products. BWXT is recognized as an industry leader in nuclear materials handling, processing, packaging, transportation, and safeguards and security, including physical security, materials accountability and information protection on many levels. BWXT also brings best practice experience from their owner/operator experience in managing one of the nation's largest commercial high-enriched (HEV) processing facilities which include special nuclear materials storage and handling; conversion, recovery and downblending services; operation of licensed radiochemistry/environmental laboratories; production of high- and low-enriched fuel for research test reactors at National Laboratories, colleges and universities; and the manufacture of uranium targets to support the medical isotope industry. BWXT and their affiliates manage over 10,000 employees at facilities that include the U.S. Department of Energy's Y-12 National Security Complex, Pantex Plant, and company-owned nuclear facility operations in Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana. BWXT's involvement at INL dates back over 50 years where BWXT was involved with design activities for the Navy's Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) facility. Since 1991, BWXT has successfully managed and operated the Specific Manufacturing Capability facility which produces armor for the U.S. Army Abrams Tank Program, earning plaudits from the Army project manager, who called SMC his "best facility". BWXT is a major operating unit of McDermott International, Inc., a leading worldwide energy services company.

Washington Group International-based in Boise, Idaho-delivers integrated engineering construction and management solutions to business and governments in six primary markets worldwide: power, energy and environment, industrial process, infrastructure, defense, and mining. Since the 1940s, when they first helped establish the Naval Proving Ground and later the National Reactor Testing Station on the current Idaho laboratory site, Washington Group engineers and constructors have been active in supporting numerous site projects. Those projects have included design and construction of many of the reactors on site, operation of the Chemical Processing Plant from 1984 to 1994, and serving as site-wide construction manager from 1979 to 1993. Most recently, Washington Group supported construction of the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Facility.

Today, Washington Group provides engineering, construction, and operational services to more than a dozen U.S. Department of Energy facilities, including prime contracts at the Savannah River Site and Savannah River National Laboratory (Aiken, South Carolina); Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (Carlsbad, New Mexico); and West Valley Demonstration Project (Buffalo, New York). With approximately 26,000 employees at work in over 40 states and more than 30 countries, the company provides professional, scientific, management, and development services in more than two dozen major markets.

EPRI, established by the U.S. electric utilities in 1973, is an independent, non-profit research consortium that manages a broad collaborative research program for the benefit of the electric utility industry, their customers, and society. It has more than 700 domestic members who represent 90 percent of the electricity generated and sold in the United States. In addition, there are 130 international electricity enterprise organizations participating in EPRI's research and development program. Its technical program is unique in its breadth, spanning virtually every aspect of electricity generation, environmental protection, power delivery, retail use, and power markets. EPRI has more than 800 patents to its credit and world-class staff whose expertise spans a broad range of technologies.

EPRI's Nuclear R&D programs comprise over one-third of EPRI's total R&D portfolio. 100 percent of U.S. plants and 45 percent of all reactor units world-wide are full members of the EPRI Nuclear Program with another 30 percent participating in portions of the program. The EPRI Nuclear Power Program mission is to develop cost effective technology for safe and environmentally friendly electricity generation.

Battelle's university collaborators include nationally recognized leaders in nuclear engineering, and, across the board, represent highly-respected research and educational programs that can and will support the Idaho site, the region, and the nation.

For more information, visit www.battelle.org or contact Katy Delaney, Media Relations Manager, at (614) 424-5544 or delaneyk@battelle.org.