FY12 budget process nears completion
Published: Tue, 12/13/11
Legislative provision adopted
A provision that would require the Secretary of Energy to submit to the appropriate defense committees, no later than March 1, 2013, a report assessing the role of the nuclear security complex sites in supporting efforts for a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear deterrent as well as carrying out nuclear weapons reduction and supporting nuclear nonproliferation efforts. The report would include an assessment of opportunities for efficiencies and cost savings and a long-term plan for the nuclear security complex.
The report should include, if the Administrator deems it appropriate, an analysis of the potential for shared use or development of high-explosives research and development capacity, supercomputing platforms and infrastructure maintained for Work for Others programs. If this analysis is not provided in the report, the conferees expect the Administrator to provide a written explanation detailing why these elements were not included.
Finally, the Comptroller General of the United States would be required to submit to the appropriate congressional committees, no later than 180 days after submission of the Secretary of Energy's report, an assessment of the Secretary's report.
A provision (sec. 3125) that would require the Administrator for Nuclear Security to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to conduct a study on waste reprocessing and Generation IV reactor technologies. The study would include a review of previous studies on waste reprocessing and a determination on the feasibility of using nuclear reactor technology, including Generation IV reactor technology developed at certain sites, to reprocess and reuse nuclear materials in a proliferation-resistant manner while generating electricity.
The report would also determine the waste streams from such reactors and analyze the proliferation risks of these waste streams, including their effects on nuclear nonproliferation efforts of the United States. In addition, the study would compare using Generation IV reactors for reprocessing with nuclear waste reprocessing technologies used in other countries and with direct waste disposal.
Finally, the study would conduct a detailed analysis of large-scale deployment of such reactor technology at military installations. The Administrator would be required to submit the report transmitted from the NAS no later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act.
The provision would also require the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Administrator for Nuclear Security and the Secretary of Defense (as needed), to conduct a study on nuclear waste processing and Generation IV reactor technology.
The study would include a review of prior studies conducted by the Department of Energy and the NAS related to nuclear waste reprocessing and the use of mixed oxide fuel in reactors, including Generation IV reactors. The study would determine the waste streams from reprocessing and the use of mixed oxide fuel, analyze the nuclear nonproliferation risks of reprocessing and using mixed oxide fuel, and compare the costs and proliferation risks of nuclear waste reprocessing technologies used in other countries with direct disposal. The provision would also require the Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, to analyze the feasibility of deploying Generation IV reactors or other nuclear reactors using mixed oxide fuel at military installations. The report would be due 180 days after date of enactment of this Act.
Section 7142 of title 42, United States Code, is amended to recognize the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada by stating that (1) it is recognized as the Official Atomic Testing Museum and (2) that it shall be known as the "National Atomic Testing Museum"
Progress on nuclear nonproliferation (sec. 3122)
This section would also require the Secretary of Energy to submit annually until 2016, an assessment of the risk that nonnuclear weapon countries may acquire nuclear enrichment or
reprocessing technology, and a classified list of the location and vulnerability of highly-enriched uranium worldwide. Hanford waste tank cleanup program reforms (sec. 3113)
The provision also amends subsection (d) of section 4442 to require notification to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives of any changes in the roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships of the Office of River Protection.
The provision also reauthorizes the functions of the Office, terminating in 2019, with a clause that the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management may extend the functions of the Office further if the Assistant Secretary determines in writing that its termination would disrupt effective management of the Hanford Tank Farm Operation.
Legislative Provisions Not Adopted Comptroller General study on oversight of Department of Energy defense nuclear facilities
Consolidated reporting requirements relating to nuclear stockpile stewardship, management, and infrastructure
The conferees encourage the Administrator for Nuclear Security to re-submit the legislative proposal for this consolidation to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives for consideration in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013.
Review by Secretary of Energy and Secretary of Defense of Comptroller General assessment of budget requests with respect to the modernization and refurbishment of the nuclear security complex
Within 30 days of receiving the GAO report, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, would complete the review of the GAO report and submit the results to the congressional defense committees. This report would include the results of the review of the GAO report and the views of the two Secretaries with respect to the findings in the GAO report. In addition, the two Secretaries would report on whether the actual funding level in the fiscal year in which the report is submitted is sufficient for the modernization and refurbishment of the nuclear security complex and the refurbishment of the nuclear weapons stockpile.
Report on feasibility of federalizing the security protective forces contract guard workforce at certain Department of Energy facilities
Review of security vulnerabilities of national laboratory computers
The provision would direct the Secretary of Energy to conduct an annual review of security vulnerabilities of the national laboratory computers. The Secretary would submit a report to the congressional defense committees only if and when a significant vulnerability was discovered.
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