Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management Tim Walsh recently visited a used nuclear fuel storage facility in northern Colorado managed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho Cleanup Project and contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition.
Office of Environmental Management
September 1, 2026
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Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management Tim Walsh, second from left, tours the Fort St. Vrain used nuclear fuel storage facility in northern Colorado. Also pictured from left are Facility Manager Dave Martin, Idaho Cleanup Project Acting Manager Nick Balsmeier, Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC) Chief Operations Officer Bill Kirby and IEC Nuclear Regulatory Commission Licensed Facilities Program Manager Jeff Long.
PLATTEVILLE, Colo. — Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM) Tim Walsh recently visited a used nuclear fuel storage facility in northern Colorado managed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Idaho Cleanup Project and contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC).
Walsh toured the facility and several support buildings to better understand the Fort St. Vrain mission and its history. The facility safely stores used nuclear fuel generated by the former Fort St. Vrain Generating Station, a gas-cooled reactor that operated from 1979 to 1989. It was later shut down and decommissioned, and the site was converted to a natural gas-powered generating station.
The Fort St. Vrain used nuclear fuel storage facility is one of two such facilities owned by DOE and licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The other, also managed by ICP and IEC, is located at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site.
“EM has a longstanding history of safely and securely managing and storing used nuclear fuel,” said Walsh. “The members of the workforce managing Fort St. Vrain are no exception, bringing their best to help DOE meet its cleanup responsibilities and ensuring our communities are safe and prosperous.”
A view of the Fort St. Vrain used nuclear fuel storage facility in northern Colorado. It’s managed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho Cleanup Project and contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition.
Walsh saw firsthand how upgrades in recent years support the safety, security and preparedness of the Fort St. Vrain storage facility. ICP and IEC completed improvements to roadways, grounds, support buildings and structures, and security equipment — part of EM work to address the legacy of the past while supporting national security.
An EM protective force guards the Fort St. Vrain facility 24/7. In the past few years, crews improved the working areas and training equipment for security police officers, including upgrading a training facility equipped with a virtual simulator.
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