For Immediate Release:

Friday, September 29, 2006

(Washington D.C) – U.S Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) today announced that the $2 million she secured for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) 300 Area transition has passed both the House and Senate and is headed to the President for his signature. Murray, a member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, used her position to secure the funding when the bill first passed the Senate on July 13, 2006.

"This funding will allow PNNL to continue their mission of developing pioneering security solutions for our country," said Senator Murray. "Investing in PNNL also means more high tech jobs for our state and increased economic development in Central Washington. I am proud to support the critical work that PNNL is doing to secure our communities."

The lab currently has nearly half of its laboratory facilities in Hanford’s 300 Area, and it must make way for the on-going clean up of the site. This funding continues the multi-year project to build the Research Campus of the Future and will be used to construct radiological laboratories. Security research at PNNL includes unique work in the areas of border security, nuclear and radiation detection, and standards development for radiological detection technologies.