The Energy secretary would be blocked from restarting Hanford's Fast Flux Test Facility under the Senate energy bill crafted by Democrats, say supporters and opponents of the reactor.

The bill was released from the Senate Energy Committee, which includes U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and one of FFTF's most outspoken critics, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

The bill includes a provision preventing the Energy secretary from restarting the reactor for any program if the government already has decided the program could be carried out at other facilities, according to the Government Accountability Project.

GAP, which opposes a restart, called the bill "a major step forward," but FFTF supporters were furious.

"(U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash.) was terribly disappointed," said his spokesman, Todd Young. "Countless Americans are suffering from cancer, and they deserve better than an attempt to shut down a fair review of whether FFTF (production) of medical isotopes is viable."

In January, the Clinton administration ordered the reactor permanently shut down, saying a lengthy environmental study had found limited commercial or other interest in using isotopes that could be produced at FFTF.

The administration concluded that enough isotopes for medical use could be produced at reactors in Tennessee and Idaho, even though the study questioned whether the isotopes could be produced reliably at those facilities without interfering with work already assigned there.

In April, the Bush administration suspended the shutdown decision, saying it would consider new information. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham is expected to decide soon whether to shut down the reactor permanently or proceed with a proposal to commercialize it to produce isotopes for medicine and industry.

The energy bill addresses not only a restart of the reactor for a use that already has been rejected, but also specifically blocks restarting it for military or space use. Those uses also have been considered in the past.

The bill will go straight to the Senate for consideration without a committee vote. It's a legal but uncommon move by the Senate leadership.

The Southeast Washington Central Labor Council responded Thursday by contacting U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., and labor interests in Daschle's home state to point out organized labor's Washington and national support for FFTF. Daschle not only is Senate majority leader, but also is co-author of the Senate energy bill.

"All we ask is a fair hearing (on FFTF) with new information," said Mark Reavis, president of the labor council. "It's not just about jobs, but health care costs nationally."

Supporters of restarting the reactor want it used for promising new cancer treatments that could be less expensive and have fewer side effects than more traditional treatments.

However, Tom Carpenter of GAP said the study of commercial isotope production at the reactor was an attempt "to gin up missions." He also said restarting FFTF presents an unacceptable terrorist target and detracts from the cleanup focus at Hanford.

A spokesman for Cantwell disagreed with supporters' and opponents' interpretation of language in the Senate energy bill, saying Cantwell supports the Energy secretary's right to reopen the decision.

Cantwell believes the Senate energy bill language on FFTF is consistent with her view that the future of the reactor should be based on science and the ability to achieve scientific progress, said Jed Lewison, her communications director.

"The energy bill would allow the restart if the secretary (legally identifies) a program to be conducted there that cannot be carried out at existing operating facilities," Lewison said.

The bill is not likely to be taken up by the full Senate before Abraham makes a decision on the reactor, Lewison said.

If the Senate passes the bill with the language intact in 2002, it still would have to be reconciled with the House energy bill passed in August. It does not address FFTF.

That the Senate bill would try to block a reactor restart is troubling, Young said. However, if it passes the Senate, Hastings will work to remove or change the provision in the reconciled version of the bill, Young said.

Lewison said he did not know what action Cantwell might take when the bill comes before the Senate.

Supporters of restarting the reactor were contacting Cantwell and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., on Thursday afternoon.

"We're asking that the secretary's process be respected and carried out," said Benton County Commissioner Claude Oliver.