The 890 square-mile Idaho National Laboratory Site (INL), located in southeastern Idaho, was first established in 1952 as the National Reactor Testing Station. The original mission of the INL site was to develop and test civilian and defense nuclear reactor technologies and manage spent nuclear fuel. Fifty-two reactors — most of them first of a kind — were built at the site, including the Navy’s first prototype nuclear propulsion plant. Of the 52 reactors, four remain in operation.
Idaho Cleanup Project Photo Gallery
Idaho Cleanup Project crews completed a significant achievement by successfully transferring 40 spent nuclear fuel baskets into safer, long term storage vaults.
Idaho News
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The Idaho Cleanup Project has closed the first chapter of cleanup of three legacy nuclear propulsion prototypes at the Naval Reactors Facility by completing deactivation and demolition of the defueled Submarine 1st Generation Westinghouse — the historic Navy prototype that helped develop the first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus. December 23, 2025December 23, 2025
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Helping to grow America’s burgeoning nuclear renaissance, advancing infrastructure critical to winning the artificial intelligence race and safely addressing aging facilities to contribute to the modernization of America’s strategic deterrent — these are just some of the ways the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management helped enable American energy, innovation and security in 2025, according to a new document released today.December 23, 2025
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An Idaho Cleanup Project team created state-of-the-art process control panels that will ensure coordinated operation of a waste retrieval system and robotic equipment hundreds of feet away. December 16, 2025December 16, 2025
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As Idaho Cleanup Project demolition crews prepared to demolish the building over the defueled Submarine 1st Generation Westinghouse naval nuclear propulsion prototype reactor plant earlier this year, a nest of ravens was discovered atop the 100-foot structure. December 9, 2025December 9, 2025
Site Manager
Nicholas Balsmeier became the manager for the Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) on June 1, 2025. He joined EM with over 20 years of experience with aerospace, nuclear maintenance, operations and oversight of environmental restoration activities.
Before becoming the manager, he was with the ICP for more than 11 years as federal staff and five years as a contractor. He was formerly the Assistant Manager for Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center.
As the ICP manager he is responsible for the management and oversight of the treatment, storage, and disposition of a variety of radioactive and hazardous waste streams, removal and disposition of targeted buried waste, and the removal of the Department of Energy's inventory of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste from Idaho.
Click here to view full bio.
High Level Budget Information
| FY24 Request (in the millions) | FY24 Enacted (in the millions) | FY25 Request (in the millions) | FY25 Enacted (in the millions) | FY26 Request (in the millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $459 | $490 | $471 | $493 | $473 |
For more information on the Office of Environmental Management's budget process and performance check out the Budget & Performance page.