Congress is back!

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@ICX.NET>]

>From the Energy Communities Alliance "Monday Update"



Congress is back from recess and the budget battle resumes.  October 1

is the beginning of the next fiscal year, and currently none of the

appropriations bills have been sent to the President.  Also, the OMB and

CBO have both released budget figures noting reduced surplus

estimates--sure to make the appropriations process even more

contentious.   



The Energy and Water Development Appropriations (HR 2311) is

awaitingConference Committee consideration. [Note: This will determine

FY2002 Environmental Management program funding for Oak Ridge and the

rest of the DOE complex.]



PRICE ANDERSON ACT REAUTHORIZATION



Sep. 6 - House Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Energy and Air

Quality, 2:00 PM  2322 Rayburn Reauthorization of Price-Anderson Act

You can view the hearing online from the Committee's web site at:

http://www.house.gov/commerce

Note:  This hearing was originally scheduled for Sep. 7 at 9:30 AM.

 

The ECA sent a letter to Congressman Joe Barton, Chair of the House

Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality

stating ECA's support for a simple renewal of the Price-Anderson Act. 

The letter says in part:



"To date, much of the debate surrounding Price-Anderson has focused on

nuclear utilities and the protection it provides to communities around

nuclear power plants.  While this is an important aspect of the Act, the

impact of the legislation's expiration on the municipalitites ECA

represents has gone largely unnoticed.  Expiration of Price-Anderson

would have repercussions on DOE, its contractors and the communities

impacted by DOE facilities.  Price-Anderson's unique coverage extends

not only to DOE contractors, but also to subcontractors and suppliers. 

In some ECA members communities, municipal departments that provide fire

protection and emergency services to DOE rely on Price-Anderson

protections.  Without this coverage, these communities would be liable

in the event of an accident."



Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) is the membership organization of

local governments that are adjacent to or impacted by Department of

Energy activities.  For more information on ECA, visit the ECA Web Site

at http://www.energyca.org.

-- 

.....................................................

Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director

Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee

                       -----                       

A schedule of meetings on DOE issues is posted on our Web site

http://www.local-oversight.org/meetings.html - E-mail loc@icx.net

.....................................................

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