Congressman Zach Wamp is urging the Bush Administration's U.S. Department of Energy to make environmental cleanup at Oak Ridge and other DOE sites a top priority.

In a letter to Energy Secretary-designate Spencer Abraham, Wamp and several other members of the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus noted that the Environmental Management program is the largest in DOE.

The Jan. 4, 2001, letter says that substantial progress has been made in cleanup in the last six years, but that significant additional funding will be needed.

"The Department is currently responsible for the largest environmental cleanup project in the world, and adequate funding across the program is vital to our environment," Wamp and the other members told Abraham.

The text of the letter follows:

"We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your recent appointment as Secretary-designee for the Department of Energy. While we will miss your thoughtful and effective presence in the Senate, we are confident that your service as Secretary will serve our nation well. We commit to provide you with any assistance necessary to ensure a successful transition and tenure at the Department of Energy.

"As you are aware the Environmental Management Program is the single largest program at the Department. As members of the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus and members representing the former Manhattan Project sites we urge to strongly support this program as you create the Fiscal year 2002 budget submission to Congress.

"Over the past six years significant progress has been made in addressing the substantial environmental and public health problems created by our WWII and Cold War era nuclear weapons production. Dozens of waste tanks have been drained, tons of contaminated soil removed and placed in safe storage, nuclear reactors have been cocooned and are in safe storage, and hundreds of contaminated buildings have been decontaminated and decommissioned.

"And yet, daunting environmental challenges remain in states such as Washington, Idaho, South Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado, Oregon, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Ohio. The Department's major sites demand continued attention.

"Next year, the Environmental Management program must realize a significant increase to continue to meet its legal binding cleanup commitments with our states in order to reduce long- term costs to the American taxpayer. We are very concerned that the current Administration may level fund the Environmental Management Account by preparing a "current services" budget request that will not allow current cleanup efforts throughout the complex to remain on schedule. Without adequate funding, these dramatic environmental problems will only become more difficult to address as waste leaks and equipment fail. A budget request below the necessary amount will result in delays and higher long-term costs to the American taxpayer, not to mention added threats to the environment surrounding these former weapons production sites.

"During your comments on January 2, 2001, you stated that as Secretary you wanted to ensure that we "meet our responsibilities as good stewards for the land, the air and water." The Environmental Management Program is central to ensuring that the Department accomplishes this goal. We believe that a commitment to Environmental Management should be the Department's and President-elect Bush's top environmental initiative. The Department is currently responsible for the largest environmental cleanup project in the world and adequate funding across the program is vital to our environment. The communities that supported the nuclear weapons program of our great nation over the past fifty years helped win World War II and ensured the peaceful resolution of the Cold War. They are veterans and their sacrifices must be recognized by the Department through increased funding in the Fiscal Year 2002 Environmental Management Program.

"We thank you for your consideration of our request and look forward to a very successful and collaborative working relationship with you and members of your team. We wish you a quick and successful confirmation process and look forward to meeting with you at your earliest convenience to further discuss the Environmental Management Program?s future direction under your leadership."