Idaho brings nuclear test reactor back to life

IDAHO FALLS (AP) - Idaho's nuclear research laboratory is in the process of refurbishing a 1959 nuclear reactor to restart testing new fuel designs and power levels.

The U.S. Department of Energy is spending $75 million to restart the reactor, known as TREAT, by 2018.

Idaho National Laboratory transient testing director John Bumgardner said federal officials expressed interest in resuming the reactor's testing abilities after the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan.

The Department of Energy conducted several cost-benefit studies across the country but Idaho's TREAT reactor won as the best option.

Bumgardner said Idaho's reactor was selected largely because operators in 1988 completely refurbished the system before it shuttered six years later.