WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday, August 25, 2008, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Acting Deputy Secretary Jeffrey F. Kupfer will be joined by U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Deputy Secretary Lynn Scarlett to deliver remarks on the national significance of the B Reactor at DOE’s Hanford Site in southeast Washington State.  Acting Deputy Secretary Kupfer is expected to highlight the historical importance of the B Reactor, which was the world’s first full-size nuclear reactor and produced plutonium for the first atomic weapon test in New Mexico and for the atomic weapon used on Nagasaki, Japan, which helped end World War II.

Please note the earlier time for arrival to accommodate a longer tour of B Reactor, which will now begin at 10:00 A.M. PDT:

*NOTE:  Members of the media who plan to attend are required to register in advance and must provide the following information by Friday, August 22, 2008 to Cameron Hardy at (509) 376-5365 or Cameron_M_Hardy@rl.gov:

1. Full name (including middle) exactly as it appears on a valid photo ID (driver’s license)
2. Social Security number (confirm U.S. citizenship)
3. Date of birth
4. Place of birth (city, state)
5. Name, address, and phone number of media affiliate.

Attendees are encouraged to wear long pants and sturdy, closed-toed shoes/boots.

For more information on DOE’s efforts to reduce risk and cleanup the environmental legacy of the Nation’s nuclear weapons program, visit the Office of Environmental Management.

Media contact(s):
Joann Wardrip, (202) 586-4940