By Khalida Sarwari
A Menlo Park-based multipurpose laboratory will receive $8 million of federal funding to allow it to accelerate the excavation and disposal of contaminated soil and the installation of groundwater treatment systems, a local congresswoman announced today.
The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, home of the world’s longest linear accelerator, will receive $8 million from the Obama administration’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in addition to the $68.3 million from the economic recovery package announced last week. The lab, operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, focuses on astrophysics, photon science, accelerator and particle physics research.
“SLAC has always been at the forefront of research and science and this money will ensure that the environment in which these discoveries are made is safe and well managed,” Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, said in a statement.
Eshoo said the funding would benefit clean up efforts, create jobs and restore areas that have been impacted by chemical contamination.
The laboratory will use the $68.3 million to accelerate the acquisition of major research equipment and perform seismic upgrades to laboratory infrastructure.
“The Recovery Act funding will enable SLAC to accelerate delivery of science from our premier new facility, the Linac Coherent Light Source. It will also provide much-needed modernization and construction of our facilities, while bringing new hope and jobs to the local economy,” SLAC Director Persis Drell said in a statement.