Infrastructure Plan for the Nuclear Weapons Complex

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@ICX.NET>]

The information below was distributed by the Energy Communities

Alliance.  Consolidation of the nuclear weapons complex would have a

huge impact on the communities involved.  I assume that if the

Infrastructure Plan calls for significant changes, there will be an

Environmental Impact Statement so interested parties can weigh in.



--Susan Gawarecki



While DOE facilities were taken out of the Base Closure and Realignment

sections of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 02 (S 1438),

Section 3008 of the Act, entitled "Preparation of Infrastructure Plan

for the Nuclear Weapons Complex" requires the Secretary of Energy to

submit an 'infrastructure plan' to Congress that supports the nuclear

weapons stockpile, the naval reactors program and nonproliferation and

national security activities.  



The infrastructure plan must consider "any efficiencies and security

benefits of consolidation of facilities of the nuclear weapons complex."

As part of the infrastructure plan, the Secretary is directed to make

recommendations regarding the need to close or realign facilities of the

nuclear weapons complex as the Secretary considers appropriate and,

whether to establish a process by which a round of closures and

realignments would be carried out and whether any additional legislative

authority is needed to implement the recommendations. This plan is to be

submitted to Congress no later than the date that the DOE FY 04 budget

is to be submitted to Congress.  



Below is the full text of Section 3008 of the National Defense

Authorization Act. Both the House and Senate have agreed to the

Conference Report (H Rpt 107-333) and now the Defense Authorization Act

will be sent to the President for approval.  The Conference Report

(107-333) Language is available at:

http://www.house.gov/hasc/billsandreports/107thcongress/s1438confreport.pdf



The Conference Report Bill (s 1438) Language is available at:

http://www.house.gov/hasc/billsandreports/107thcongress/s1438confrptbilllang.pdf  



SEC. 3008. PREPARATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN FOR THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS

COMPLEX.

  

(a) INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS COMPLEX. 



(1) PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION.-Not later than the date on which the

budget for the Department of Energy for fiscal year 2004 is submitted to

Congress, the Secretary of Energy shall submit to Congress an

infrastructure plan for the nuclear weapons complex adequate to support

the nuclear weapons stockpile, the naval reactors program, and

nonproliferation and national security activities. 



(2) SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS.-In preparing the infrastructure plan, the

Secretary shall take into consideration the following: 



(A) The Department of Defense Nuclear Posture Review required pursuant

to section 1041 of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization

Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (as enacted into law by Public Law 106- 2398;

114 Stat. 1654A-262). 



(B) Any efficiencies and security benefits of consolidation of

facilities of the nuclear weapons complex. 



(C) The necessity to have a residual production capability.



(b) RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING REALIGNMENTS AND CLOSURES.-On the basis of

the infrastructure plan prepared under subsection (a), the Secretary

shall make such recommendations regarding the need to close or realign

facilities of the nuclear weapons complex as the Secretary considers

appropriate, including the Secretary's recommendations on whether to

establish a process by which a round of closures and realignments would

be carried out and any additional legislative authority necessary to

implement the recommendations. The Secretary shall submit the

recommendations as part of the infrastructure plan under subsection (a).



(c) DEFINITIONS.-In this section: 



(1) The terms ''Secretary'' and ''Secretary of Energy'' mean the

Secretary of Energy, acting after consideration of the recommendations

of the Administrator for Nuclear Security. 



(2) The term ''nuclear weapons complex'' means the national security

laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities (as such terms

are defined in section 3281 of the National Nuclear Security

Administration Act (50 27 U.S.C. 2471)) and the facilities of the Naval

Nuclear Propulsion Program provided for under the Naval Nuclear

Propulsion Executive Order (as such term is defined in section 3216 of

such Act (50 U.S.C. 2406)).



***

Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) is the membership organization of

local governments that are adjacent to or impacted by Department of

Energy activities.  To add or remove your name to the ECA list serve,

please e-mail server@energyca.org.  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

Please visit our Web site - http://www.local-oversight.org

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

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