House panel passes 2003 energy and water appropriations bill
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development reported out the 2003 Energy and Water spending bill last night.
The bill is $26 billion, an increase of $857 million above fiscal year 2002 and $516 million above the President's budget request.
For Department of Energy programs, the recommendation of $20.7 billion $147 billion over the President's request and $806 million above fiscal year 2002.
The Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology would receive $213.7 million, a decrease of $36.1 million from the budget request and $36.7 million below fiscal year 2002. The Chairman's mark funds Nuclear Energy Plant Optimization (NEPO) program at $5 million, the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) at $25 million, and nuclear energy technologies at $41.5 million. University programs at $17.5 million. Funding for the Fast Flux Test Facility is transferred to the environmental management program to begin decontamination and decommissioning.
- DOE science programs are funded at $3.27 billion, a decrease of $8 million from the budget request and $38 million above fiscal year 2002. High energy physics is funded at $724.9 million and nuclear physics at $382.4 million, both at the request level. Biological and environmental research is funded at the request level of $504.2 million. Funding for basic energy sciences is $1 billion, the same as the request, and includes full funding for the Spallation Neutron Source. The Advanced Scientific Computing Research initiative is funded at $174.6 million, an increase of $5 million over the request. Fusion energy research is funded at $248.5 million, the same as fiscal year 2002, and $8.8 million below the request.
- The Nuclear Waste Fund program to determine the suitability of the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada as a permanent geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel is funded at the request of $524.7 million, an increase of $148.7 over fiscal year 2002. Passage by the House and Senate of the repository siting resolution ensures that DOE can move forward with the license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2004 and initial repository operations in 2010.
- The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which includes the nuclear weapons program, defense nuclear nonproliferation, naval reactors and the office of the administrator, is funded at $7.9 billion, an increase of $317.9 million over last year, and $114.9 million below the budget request. Funding of $5.77 billion is provided for weapons activities; $1.17 billion for defense nuclear nonproliferation programs; $706.8 million for naval reactors; and $261.9 for the office of the administrator.
