For the Idaho Freedom Foundation, the Idaho National Laboratory is the ‘elephant in the room’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) on July 20, 2022 there is an article by Wayne Hoffman titled Government “Investments” Hurt Real People, Delay Solutions. It begins by claiming:

 

“Whenever someone says government is going to ‘invest’ money toward a problem, remember the warning from the great economist Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, only tradeoffs.” 

 

 Two weeks later there is a press release from the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on August 3, 2022 instead titled Energy Secretary tours INL with focus on clean energy, national security capabilities. It states that:

 

“U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm made her first visit to Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Wednesday.

…. ‘INL’s clean energy and national security research will be critical to delivering on this Administration’s promise to make energy more secure, affordable, reliable and resilient for all Americans,’ Granholm said. ‘INL is pioneering emerging technologies, like advanced nuclear reactors, to harness the carbon-free nuclear power that will be essential to meeting President Biden’s climate goals. After my first in-person visit to INL, I’m confident that the bright minds here are securing our clean energy future and cementing our nation’s spot as a global leader in science and innovation.’ ” 

An article by Kyle Pfannenstiel in the Post Register on May 21, 2021 is titled Report: Idaho National Lab remains key state economic player. It stated:

“The nation’s lead nuclear energy research laboratory supported thousands of jobs last year, remaining a key player in Idaho’s economy as private operations injected nearly $2.9 billion into the state’s GDP, according to a report released last week.

Battelle Energy Alliance, a private contractor that runs day-to-day operations at Idaho National Laboratory, employed an average of more than 5,000 workers in 2020.

‘The economic impact that Battelle has on our city and our region is unquestionable, but their reach extends well beyond Idaho Falls,’ said Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper. 'They are one of the major economic drivers in our state and are constantly working to create relationships and foster small businesses all across Idaho.'

‘We feel really fortunate to have them in our community and to benefit from the global leadership that they demonstrate.’

Battelle has long been one of Idaho’s biggest job sources. It was the seventh-largest Idaho private employer and the 10th biggest employer overall last year in the Gem State, according to the latest figures. Employee compensation totaled more than $700 million in 2020.”

But IFF has consistently ignored discussing the Idaho National Laboratory. They are the ‘elephant in the room’ – a reality not acknowledged. Another INL press release on March 21, 2022 is titled Advanced Test Reactor Overhaul Complete: System Testing Underway to Resume Normal Operations. That reactor entered service back in 1967 (about 55 years ago). It is described by an INL web page and a Wikipedia page.

 

The image of an elephant was cropped from one by Carol Highsmith at the Library of Congress.