Bayview’s naval research center will build a two-story, 25,600-square-foot building over Lake Pend Oreille for its submarine research work, thanks to Gov. Phil Batt’s agreement with the federal government on nuclear waste.

Among the millions in federal dollars promised to Idaho as part of the agreement was $7 million in 1997 for the new facility at Bayview. Lt. Commander Rick Schulz said the project “significantly improves our ability to conduct our underwater acoustics mission.”

The project has been proposed for some time, but Schulz said it didn’t get funded until Idaho signed the nuclear waste agreement. That brought “final funding authorization,” he said.

The building, to be located near the shoreline at the Acoustic Research Detachment, will allow storage, outfitting and operation of up to five of the center’s large-scale model submarines.

The project won’t mean any additional permanent jobs, but Schulz said “it is expected that numerous jobs will result from the construction effort.”

“For the future, this project ensures the continued viability of the Acoustic Research Detachment’s mission and the employment of over 130 government and contractor employees,” he said.

The naval center at Bayview does research involving sound and submarines. Its work, Schulz said, “will allow the U.S. Submarine Force to maintain its advantage of quieter and more capable submarines than our adversaries.”

, DataTimes