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November 7th, 2005 - - FUNDING LEVELS:
The Conference Report provides a total of $30.5 billion in budget 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 $1 billion below the Senate passed level and 2% or $749 million above last year’s level.
CORPS OF ENGINEERS:
The conference report supports a vigorous Civil Works program while focusing limited resources on completing high priority projects. The recommendation of $5.4 billion, roughly equal to last year’s level when adjusted for emergency supplementals. The bill includes a number of significant changes to improve project execution and financial management, including more responsible use of reprogrammings, continuing contracts, and implementation of long-term financial planning.
BUREAU OF RECLAMATION:
The conference report provides funding necessary to maintain, operate, and rehabilitate Bureau projects throughout the western United States and protect the considerable Federal investment in western water infrastructure. Funding for the Bureau of Reclamation is $1.1 billion, $40 million above last year’s level and $24 million below the Senate passed level.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY:
The recommendation of $24.3 billion for the Department of Energy is $129 million below FY05 and $787 million below the Senate passed level.
- The Conferees fund the Yucca Mountain repository at $450 million, $127 million below FY05 and $201 million below the request. This includes $100 million for Nuclear Waste Disposal and $350 million for Defense Nuclear Waste Disposal. In addition to the $450 million provided for work on the Yucca Mountain repository, the conference agreement provides $50 million for the Secretary of Energy to plan for and initiate a competitive site selection process to develop one or more integrated spent fuel recycling facilities. Additional resources are also provided to the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology to develop an advanced spent fuel recycling technology for the United States.
- The Conferees fund the Office of Science at $3.633 billion, an increase of $33 million over last year and $170 million over the request. An additional $30 million is provided to continue the efforts to develop a leadership class advanced computer for the scientific community.
- The Power Marketing Administrations are funded at $272 million, $64 million above last year and $215 million above the request. The committee does not include a controversial Administration proposal to use revenues collected from Power Marketing Administrations power sales to augment the budget of the Army Corps.
- 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 $9.2 billion, an increase of $217 million over last year and $200 million below the President’s request. The bill does not include funding for the robust nuclear earth penetrator study but provides significant increases for the Sustainable Stockpile Initiative, including development of the Reliable Replacement Warhead. Additional resources are provided to accelerate the consolidation of sensitive nuclear materials into a small number of secure sites. Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation activities are funded at $1.6 billion, $138 million above FY05 and $6 million below the request. Weapons activities are funded at $6.4 billion, $102 million above FY05 and $196 million below the request. The National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is funded at $142 million, same as the budget request (and the House level).
- The bill terminates the following programs: Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies: -$70 million, Nuclear Energy Plant Optimization: -$2 million, and Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator: -$4 million.
- Defense Environmental Cleanup programs are funded at $6.19 billion, an increase of $177 million over the request. Of this amount, $157.4 million is the addition of NNSA cleanup activities, initially proposed in the request as transferring to NNSA. The conference report provides $526 million for the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. Non-defense Environmental Cleanup activities are funded at $353 million, an increase of $3.3 million over the request.
- Fossil Energy research and development programs are funded at $598 million, an increase of $106.5 over the request, to include $18 million for FutureGen, and $50 million for the Clean Coal Power Initiative.
- Energy Supply and Conservation programs are funded at $1.8 billion, $24 million above FY05 and $114 million below the Senate passed level.
- The Denali Commission is reduced 25 percent or $17 million, total funding is $50 million. Appalachian Regional Commission is funded at $66 million, the same as the request and last year’s level.
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