Advocates for Hanford's Fast Flux Test Facility want to test -- then grade -- state legislators' knowledge of the test reactor.

Representatives from the Citizens for Medical Isotopes, American Nuclear Society, National Association of Cancer Patients and organized labor are sending the quiz to Democratic U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, Republican U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings and Gov. Gary Locke.

The test, which was being sent Tuesday, asks the four to review and respond to questions about FFTF. The take-at-home test is due back at the end of the month, at which time FFTF advocates will grade the legislators.

This is one of several attempts by advocates to get the reactor restarted. Benton County Commissioner Claude Oliver recently sent a letter to former U.S. Sen. John Glenn, R-Ohio, asking him to intervene with the president. Also, the Citizens for Medical Isotopes is in the midst of a campaign called Women to Women, which is attempting to get more women involved in the efforts.

Advocates believe the reactor has several missions, including providing medical isotopes to fight cancer and as a test platform for the next generation of nuclear reactors.

At the reactor, Department of Energy contractors continue work on deactivating and decommissioning. DOE is hoping to completely shut down the reactor by 2012.

The Clinton and Bush administrations both turned away requests to restart the reactor.

FFTF advocates are working against an unknown deadline prompted by freezing temperatures that could damage the reactor's drained, outer coolant loops and could make a restart difficult and cost-prohibitive.

A passing grade -- an A+ proponents say -- is possible if the legislators can convince the Department of Energy to turn on heaters to protect the drained loops. Advocates believe that would cost about $5,000 a month.