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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Mike Benbow, Business Editor benbow@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, October 6, 2008 Management contract extended at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland Associated Press RICHLAND -- The federal government has extended Battelle Memorial Institute's contract to manage the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory through September 2012, the Department of Energy announced Friday. Battelle, a nonprofit group based in Columbus, Ohio, has managed and operated the south-central Washington laboratory since its inception in 1965. Battelle's current contract to run the government-owned facility expires Dec. 31. The new contract also allows Battelle to continue to use laboratory resources for commercial business. At the contract's end, it would be required to conclude commercial business or move it under its management and operation contract with the Energy Department in the rebidding process. "The department remains committed to continuing its efforts to develop new or improved mechanisms that would be appropriate for use at all laboratories to make it as easy as possible for industry to partner with our national labs to leverage their scientific and technological innovations," said Raymond Orbach, the department's undersecretary for science. The Energy Department announced in 2006 that for the first time in 41 years it would seek competitive bids to manage the lab. In a draft request for proposals last fall, the department said it would eliminate from the contract a special-use permit that has allowed Battelle to use government-owned facilities to conduct outside work. At the time, the department said the decision would foster competition and better align the new laboratory contract with other Energy Department contracts. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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