The House Appropriations Committee held a markup hearing today regarding the fiscal year (FY) 2020 Energy and Water Development funding bill. After releasing the bill text last week, the Committee released the report with further funding details today.
The House report provides $37.1 billion for the Department of Energy (DOE).
Within the DOE budget, the House report includes $7.2 billion for the Office of Environmental Management (EM); $6.87 billion for the Office of Science; and $1.3 billion for the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE).
In the nearly $6 billion defense environmental cleanup budget, Savannah River Site would receive a $42 million increase, while other sites such as Hanford, Idaho National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge Reservation would see funding decreases compared to FY 2019 levels.
The report included language that elaborated on funding for two sites specifically: 1) providing funding for Hanford’s B Reactor roof repairs and test bed initiative, and 2) supporting DOE’s request for the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative facility as a line-item construction project.
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) would have one of its highest budgets in history, as the House report includes $15.9 billion, a $665 million increase above FY 2019. The House report addressed NNSA’s plan to divide plutonium pit production between Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The Committee noted that NNSA has not provided a report
regarding the “cost, scope, and schedule to meet plutonium mission needs,” and directed the agency to provide the information to Congress within 30 days of the appropriation bill’s passage.
Within the NE budget, the House report includes $100 million for Advanced Small Modular Reactor Research and Development “to support technical, first-of-its-kind engineering and design and regulatory development of next generation light water and non-light water small modular reactors.”
The Committee did not include any funding for Yucca Mountain licensing activities. During the markup hearing today, Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) introduced an amendment that would include such funding, but the amendment was defeated on a 25-27 vote.
In the markup hearing, the Committee adopted an amendment reminding DOE “…of its authority to transfer excess personal property and equipment to DOE-designated Community Reuse Organizations in order to promote economic diversification and job creation in communities where the Department's sites are located..."
Regarding the Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (ARPA-E), the Committee “strongly rejects the short-sighted proposal to terminate ARPA–E. Instead, the Committee increases investment in this transformational program and directs the Department to continue to spend funds provided on research and development and program direction.”
The Committee expressed concern in its report about DOE Order 140.1 and its impact on the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s (DNFSB) oversight responsibilities. The report directs the Comptroller General “to evaluate the impact to public and worker safety of the Order and to evaluate whether the Order prevents DNFSB access to information required to carry out its Congressionally-mandated
responsibilities.” Additionally, the Committee directs DOE to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with DNFSB “to govern interactions regarding pre-decisional information.”
Finally, while the President’s budget request proposed moving the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) to the Office of Legacy Management (LM), the Committee rejected the plan and stated that it is “pleased with the current cooperation between the
Department and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in carrying out the FUSRAP program and expects the Department to continue to provide its institutional knowledge and expertise to ensure the success of this program and to serve the nation and the affected communities.”
The House Appropriations Committee report is available here. A video of the markup hearing is available here.
