October 09, 2026

Idaho cleanup boss ‘acting’ no more

By ExchangeMonitor

The Department of Energy has removed “acting” from the title of Idaho Cleanup Project Manager Nick Balsmeier at the Idaho National Laboratory.

“17 years ago today, I started my career at the Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) as a United Steelworker (Local 652),” Balsmeier said in an Oct. 5 post on LinkedIn. “Today, I started my first day as the manager of the Idaho Cleanup Project for the DOE Office of Environmental Management.”

“I couldn’t have made it to this point in my career without the support of my family, friends, coworkers, and mentors,” Balsmeier went on to say.

Balsmeier became acting manager for INL’s Idaho Cleanup Project in June 2025, according to his DOE bio.

Balsmeier has logged more than 20 years in the aerospace, nuclear and environmental remediation fields. Prior to becoming top executive at the Idaho Cleanup Project, “he worked for more than 11 years as federal staff, and five years as a contractor,” according to the DOE bio. He has spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force and the Idaho Air National Guard.

At the Idaho National Laboratory cleanup project, Balsmeier oversees everything from transuranic waste removal and shipment to operation of the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit and protecting the Snake River Aquifer.

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