b'C H A P T E R 19. A N D T H E I D A H O B O OS Tplutonium fuel so that it could operate spoke with whom. In April 1964, forin a reactor at higher and higher tem- example, Republican Governor Robertperatures without melting the fuel or Smylie sent a telegram to each membercladding. The economics of a commer- of the delegation, at the time consistingcial reactor would require an operating of two Democrats and twotemperature of about 1,200F, a target Re p u b l i c a ns 10 :that Argonne had not yet reached.Shaw and others felt that fuel made of U rge you support AEC project 630-Aoxides or carbides of uranium and plu- for A rco, Idaho AEC installation. Nowr t e dtonium and cladding of zirconium and b e f o e JCAE. Efforts currently exertitanium alloys held more promise for to assign same to Hanford. If shifted,higher operating temperatures. In this will have detrimental effect in easternlarger scheme of research, Shaw want- I d a h o .11ed the EBR-II to shift its programemphasis and become a materials test- The effort succeeded, and the 630-Aing reactor for these new fuel concepts. Idaho State Historical Society 103-C5413 reactor experiment went to TAN. TheThe new FFTF would have test loops Governor Robert Smylie project, intended to advance a nuclear-in which fuel elements six inches in powered civilian maritime fleet, was ofdiameter and three to four feet long modest budgetary impact, but it helpedrcould be irradiated in an environment r e a ct o . By this time, they were well- preserve the NRTS as an importantproducing more neutron flux than even practiced observers and promoters of the AEC facility. Better that Idaho get thethe ATR was capable. 8 NRTS. The spirit of the party plan was work than Hanford.still intact. The team now included theShaw opened a Liquid Metal Fast Idaho governors office and the Idaho While Hanford designed the FFTF, theBreeder Reactor (LMFBR) office at congressional delegation. The new editor Idaho boost machine worked on anotherArgonne s Chicago and Idaho locations of the Idaho Falls P o s t - R e g i s t, Robb e r project. In 1965, the AEC asked the and staffed them with people who Br a , forged an important link between National Academy of Sciences (NAS) tody reported directly to him. The atmosphere the NRTS and the public. These groups select a location for a proposed Nationalwas not cordial. Shaws people demand- eyed the flow of money and ideas in Accelerator Laboratory, a $348 millioned copies of all trip reports, conference Washington, D.C. They kept a tally of particle accelerator known as thereports, and program documents con- projects gained and lost, proposed and Bevatron. Editor Brady thought it wastaining conclusions and recommenda- canceled. They watched the NRTSa long shot for Idaho, given the absencetions. He laid his quality template on all employment and budget statistics like of a nuclear physics program at Idahoplanning documents: objectives, criteria, hawks. All understood that competition State University (ISU) in Pocatello. 1 2standards, alternatives, priorities, ratio- for federal research funds was a growingnale, and more. He told Crewe that he fact of life. Nevertheless, Governor Smylie wasexpected Ar gonne to serve as an exten- game. He established a special Idahosion of the LMFBR office. He rejected Information flowed freely among the Accelerator Committee, on which meninitiatives from the field. Ahistorian of players, and they followed up in careful- from the business community and fromthe Ar gonne lab described Arge s ly orchestrated moves. The newspaper Ginkels office all helped to coordinateonn new role as captive handmaiden of kept readers informed, and Bradys the promotion. Headed by FredS h a w s office, its autonomy gone. 9 thoughtful editorials were so well con- Rooney, an executive with the FMCsidered that they circulated in Corporation in east Idaho, the commit-In Idaho Falls, business leaders respond- Washington, D.C. Political party aff il ia- tee included Brady and a professionaled swiftly to Idahos loss of the FA R E T tion made no apparent difference in who publicist named Don Watson. The com-1 8 7'