Feds extending contract to manage Richland lab by two years

RICHLAND – The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s management and operating contract, scheduled to expire next month, will be extended for as long as two more years, the Department of Energy said Wednesday.

The department said in February it planned to seek competitive bids for the contract to manage the PNNL, a national science laboratory managed and operated since its start in 1965 by Battelle Memorial Institute, a nonprofit group based in Columbus, Ohio.

Battelle’s current contract was to expire Sept. 30.

The Energy Department said the extension will provide for continued operation of PNNL by Battelle while the details for competitive bids to manage and operate the government-owned laboratory are completed.

Battelle executives have said they intend to bid for the new contract.

With an annual budget of $750 million, the laboratory’s research areas include science and environment, energy, defense and national security.

The Energy Department plans to issue a draft request for proposals for the PNNL contract before the end of fiscal year 2008.

PNNL employs about 4,200 people.