WHEREAS, February 2009 marks the 60th anniversary of the federal government’s decision to select Idaho as the site for its National Reactor Testing Station; and

        WHEREAS, the men and women of this Idaho-based testing station played leading roles in carrying out President Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace vision of producing peaceful power from atomic energy; and

        WHEREAS, the Idaho researchers working at this great institution brought scientific distinction to the state as the place where a usable amount of electricity was first generated from nuclear energy, and where 52 pioneering nuclear reactors were designed and built; and

        WHEREAS, when the testing station was elevated to “national laboratory” status to acknowledge its contributions in a wide range of science and technology fields, Idaho’s stature also rose as it became one of only eight states to host a multi-program national laboratory; and

        WHEREAS, today’s Idaho National Laboratory performs critical work aimed at solving our state’s and nation’s most pressing energy, security and environmental challenges, and actively involves all three of Idaho’s universities in carrying out its mission; and

        WHEREAS, the State of Idaho and its citizens have a special interest in seeing INL succeed owing to the economic stability, scientific innovation and educational initiative leadership the lab brings to Idaho;

        NOW, THEREFORE, I, C.L. “Butch” Otter, Governor of the State of Idaho, do hereby proclaim February 2009, to be

Idaho National Laboratory Month

and I urge all Idaho citizens to share in the “celebration of innovation” that the 60th anniversary of Idaho National Laboratory represents, and wish your neighbors at INL continued success in showing that Idaho is the place where individuals and ideas can take root and grow.
 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Idaho at in Bingham County, Idaho on this 20th day of February in the year of our Lord two thousand and nine and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred thirty-third and of the Statehood of Idaho the one hundred nineteenth.

BEN YSURSA
SECRETARY OF STATE