Southeast Washington is getting an economic boost. Two announcements made Wednesday are expected to lead to new jobs in the area.
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is building a $10 million facility in north Richland, near the rest of the lab’s campus. The facility will house research on the power grid's reliability, renewable energy and greater energy efficiency in buildings.
The U.S. Department of Energy is paying for the construction of the 22,000-square-foot lab.
“This constitutes new capability that’s absolutely critical to the future of PNNL,” said Mike Kluse, director of the national lab.
The second announcement involves a radioactive and hazardous waste cleanup company called Kurion, which has taken over another firm in Richland. This means the California-based company will triple in size to tackle nasty messes in the U.S., Europe and Japan.
