Because replacing the Chickamauga Lock is critical to the future of East Tennessee, Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN) worked closely with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) to make sure the funding was available in the final 2004 spending bill to design the new lock on the Tennessee River and the necessary language was in place to officially start the construction.  Wamp was one of the House Appropriators that worked with the Senate to finalize the Energy and Water bill.

$7.88 million was included in the final 2004 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill for the engineering, designing and construction of the new Chickamauga Lock and for continued operation and maintenance of the existing lock. Continued maintenance on the current lock is needed to make sure that it stays operable until the new lock is completed.  

"Replacing the Chickamauga Lock has been my number one legislative priority for eight years and it is exciting to see it become a reality. The Tennessee River is the lifeline of the Tennessee Valley and a new lock in Chattanooga is crucial to the region in terms of future commerce and recreation.  It is very satisfying to have this important project underway," said Wamp, who has served on the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee for the last three years. 

The bill includes $143 million, which is full-funding, for the continued operation and construction of the nation's largest science project, the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) in Oak Ridge. 

The following is a list of other important projects included in the 2004 Energy and Water conference report:

- $15 million increase over the Administration's request for the Y-12 Weapons plant in Oak Ridge, TN.  "This additional funding is needed to meet the added workload requirements and increased safeguards and security at Y-12," said Wamp.

- Provides the necessary funding to continue the accelerated environmental clean-up agreement in Oak Ridge.

- $20 million for ORNL's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS).  The CNMS will be used in conjunction with SNS and the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) in Oak Ridge for research in the areas of energy conservation and transmission.

- $30 million increase in high-speed computing research for the nation-wide Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program, which will support DOE's mission through scientific computation.  The ORNL is a national leader is high-speed computational sciences.

- $54.59 million for infrastructure improvements and to correct safety deficiencies at our nation's science laboratories. 

- $750,000 for the SimCenter at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for environmental research related to the Climate Change Initiative.   President Bush has initiated a Climate Change Research Initiative to provide guidance to policy makers on important scientific questions regarding the global warming trend in Earth?s climate.

- $100,000 for the town of Dandridge, in Jefferson County, to help with stream bank erosion problems along the Dumplin Valley Creek, near Milldale Road.

- $100,000 to complete the stream bank protection study on Terminal Road in Chattanooga, TN.  At the Tennessee River, near Williams Island, the City of Chattanooga will study the needs for stream bank stabilization of 500-600 feet of exposed sewer line and manholes serving an industrial port along Terminal Road.

Once approved by the House and Senate, the bill will go to President George W. Bush for his signature.