FULL COMMITTEE REPORTS FY 2004 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS

[Susan, L, Gawarecki]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

July 15, 2003

FULL COMMITTEE REPORTS FY 2004 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS



"I am pleased to be able to present the first Energy and Water 

Appropriations bill to the Subcommittee since assuming the Chairmanship 

in January," Subcommittee Chairman David Hobson said. "I believe we have 

crafted a responsible and bipartisan bill to improve the status of our 

nation's energy and water resources. We are truly at a historic 

crossroads in respects to both our energy needs and water resources, and 

I think this bill will help us make a great deal of progress."



FUNDING LEVELS:



The Chairman's mark provides a total of $27.1 billion in new 

discretionary spending authority for the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers-Civil, the Department of Interior including the Bureau of 

Reclamation, the Department of Energy, and several Independent Agencies. 

This bill is $942 million above fiscal year 2003 and $134 million above 

the President's budget request.



<snip>



DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY:



The recommendation of $22 billion for the Department of Energy is $147 

million under the President's request and $1.2 billion above fiscal year 

2003.



*  The chairman's mark includes $330 million for renewable energy 

programs, $114 million below the budget request and $89 million below 

fiscal year 2003. Much of this apparent reduction represents a transfer 

to the new Office of Electricity Transmission and Distribution, as 

recommended by the Secretary of Energy.



*  Nuclear energy programs are funded at $268 million, a decrease of 

$9.1 million from the budget request and $8 million above fiscal year 

2003. The Chairman's mark funds Nuclear Energy Plant Optimization (NEPO) 

program at $4 million, the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) at 

$10 million, and nuclear energy technologies at $42.7 million. The 

Chairman's mark also includes $2.5 million for the Nuclear Hydrogen 

initiative and $58.5 million for the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative.



*  DOE science programs are funded at $3.48 billion, an increase of $169 

million over the budget request and $219 million above fiscal year 2003. 

High energy physics is funded at $748 million and nuclear physics at 

$399.4 million, both $10 million over the request level. Biological and 

environmental research is funded at $562 million, $62.5 million over the 

request level. Funding for basic energy sciences is $1.0 billion, $8 

million over the request, and includes full funding for the Spallation 

Neutron Source. The Advanced Scientific Computing Research initiative is 

funded at $213.5 million, an increase of $40 million over the request. 

Fusion energy research is funded at $268.1 million, $10.8 million above 

the request.



*  The Nuclear Waste Program continues to be one of the Chairman's 

highest energy priorities. The Chairman's mark provides a total of $765 

million for nuclear waste disposal, an increase of $174 million over the 

budget request and $308 million more than fiscal year 2003. Additional 

funds are provided to enable the Department to initiate repository 

operations in 2010, with particular emphasis in developing a rail line 

in Nevada that avoids the Las Vegas metropolitan area.



*  The Power Marketing Administrations are funded at $207.3 million, the 

same as the President's request and $5.2 million above last year. 

Reimbursable purchase power and wheeling activities are maintained at 

the fiscal year 2003 levels.



*  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 $8.5 billion, 

an increase of $330.1 million over last year, and $326.4 million below 

the budget request. Funding of $6.12 billion is provided for weapons 

activities; $1.28 billion for defense nuclear nonproliferation programs; 

$768.4 million for naval reactors; and $341.9 for the office of the 

administrator.



*  Funding of $7.6 billion is provided for DOE environmental management 

cleanup activities, $87.5 million less than the budget request and $213 

million over last year. The Chairman's mark continues the strong 

commitment to accelerate cleanup schedules at contaminated sites 

throughout the country, thus reducing public health and safety risks as 

well as total life-cycle cleanup costs.



<snip>



For the complete press release go to the House Appropriations web site 

at: http://www.house.gov/appropriations/news/108_1/04ewfull.htm

-- 

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

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

Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee

102 Robertsville Road, Suite B, Oak Ridge, TN 37830

Toll free 888-770-3073 ~ www.local-oversight.org

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





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