INL, Fluor Idaho to curtail normal operations for eclipse on Aug. 21
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Idaho National Laboratory and Fluor Idaho are curtailing operations for employees on Monday, Aug. 21, to alleviate the potential for safety and transportation-related issues during the solar eclipse.
Please note that if an extraordinary event occurs that would require the INL Emergency Operations Center to open, news media would be notified by the communications staff on duty.
Operating schedules for Monday, Aug. 21:
Idaho National Laboratory: INL operations are curtailed for day shift employees. Those working 12- hour shifts will not see any change to their regular schedules/shifts.
Fluor Idaho: Fluor Idaho’s normal Monday to Thursday work week will be moved to Tuesday through Friday.
The Experimental Breeder Reactor-I and its historic museum will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 21.
From Aug. 18 to 21, all operating INL and Fluor Idaho facilities and building parking lots in Idaho Falls and at the desert Site will be closed to the public, and only open to essential employees working on Aug. 21. There are also no provisions to allow anyone the opportunity to pull off or camp alongside the paved highways within the boundaries of the INL desert Site. In order to gain access onto Department of Energy property, an individual must be properly badged and be performing “official government business.”
Land adjacent to the highway is under the jurisdiction of the Idaho Transportation Department, which has established a property easement of 50 feet from either side of the roadway. The Transportation Department and INL authorities work closely on matters pertaining to public roadways.
Residents and visitors to the area should also be aware of the potential for wildland fires. August is generally considered a “high” or “extreme” fire danger month, which further restricts access to established roadways. INL Site-wide Services maintenance crews and the INL Fire Department work together with the Transportation Department to reduce chances of grass fires caused by various sources – such as sparks from vehicles, cigarette butts, etc. – in part by mowing sagebrush and grass adjacent to highways.
Fluor Idaho, LLC manages the Idaho Cleanup Project Core contract that is focused on early risk reduction and protection of the Snake River Plain Aquifer.
For more information, visit the Idaho Cleanup Project at https://fluor-idaho.com/
