Idaho’s Argon-Filled Hot Cell Earns Nuclear Historic Landmark Plaque While Continuing Full-Capacity Work

The Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF) at Idaho National Laboratory—the largest inert-atmosphere hot cell filled with argon and shielded by four feet of concrete—was honored with a Nuclear Historic Landmark plaque by the American Nuclear Society, recognizing its pivotal past. Yet the facility remains actively busy, supporting sodium loop experiments, ongoing fuel examinations, and NRAD neutron-imaging work as part of Idaho’s broader nuclear‑energy revival and research program.