Independent Strategic Management Solutions joined with URS Corp. in March to help secure a $500,000 contract to look at the potential benefits of building a small modular nuclear reactor system on leased land at Hanford in Southeast Washington State. The URS team was selected by the Tri-City Development Council (TRIDEC) of Tri-Cities, Washington to evaluate economic impacts of the project on the region. TRIDEC was awarded a state Department of Commerce grant of $500,000 for the study and related expenses and is expected to be completed in about five months.

Congressional leaders from Washington State have encouraged DOE to locate a small modular nuclear reactor project in the Tri-City area, including U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings who noted, “This is part of a larger effort to diversify our economy in order to ensure a thriving community as Hanford cleanup winds down and is ultimately completed.”

The URS team has been asked to identify and evaluate the benefits at a local, state and national level for locating a small modular reactor at Hanford, including any significant advantages to DOE in selecting Hanford as a preferred site.