|
 |
April
9, 2001
U.S. Department
of Energy Releases FY 2002 Budget
"Setting The Course For Reform And Change
In The Future"
Washington, D.C. - United States Energy Secretary
Spencer Abraham today released the Department
of Energy's (DOE) Fiscal Year 2002 Budget request
to Congress, calling it an "important first
step and prudent transition setting a course toward
comprehensive change and reform as the department
looks to the future."
Abraham said that DOE's $19.2 billion budget request
reflects a commitment by the Bush Administration
to moderate discretionary spending while continuing
to meet critical challenges in national security,
energy, science and environmental quality.
"Instead of following the status quo, the
budget we submit today is principled and sends
a clear signal that change is on the way. It strengthens
our ability to carry out our national security
responsibilities. It meets our key priorities
for health and safety. It advances our energy
security, and supports important scientific research.
And, it reflects President Bush's commitments
and my priorities for reform," Abraham said.
"This budget sets a sensible course by clearly
fulfilling commitments and establishing key priorities,
but at the same time signals our intention to
rethink a host of programs while we craft the
Bush Administration's policy."
Noting that the ongoing government-wide reviews
for national security and energy policy helped
shape the budget, Abraham said the FY 2002 budget
maintains the flexibility to respond to changes
in policy. "Budgets must follow policy, which
in turn must follow strategic thinking. On-going
policy reviews will evaluate the department's
critical tasks and will impact the department
more than any other in government."
Abraham also announced that he will direct the
department to conduct a sweeping review of its
Environmental Management programs and activities
while maintaining the department's commitment
to health and safety and continued environmental
cleanup with the ultimate goal of a "stronger,
more effective and efficient environmental management
program."
Funding priorities for the FY2002 budget follow
four business lines:
National Security ($7.2 billion, an increase of
$180 million, or 2.6 percent above FY2001)
"While awaiting the policy shaped by the
Administration-wide Defense Posture Review, we
will refocus funding to meet vital national security
needs, including investments to maintain our nuclear
weapons arsenal, shore up an aging weapons infrastructure,
and improve safeguards and security at all DOE
facilities," said Secretary Abraham.
The total funding for the National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA), is $6.8 billion. This is
a $136 million, or 2 percent increase over the
FY 2001 appropriation. Within this total, funding
has been shifted to weapons activities to increase
support for the near- and long-term needs of the
department's nuclear weapons stockpile.
The DOE Stockpile Stewardship Program budget is
$5.3 billion, an increase of 4.6 percent over
FY 2001, to make immediate investments to support
long-term stockpile stewardship and weapons refurbishment
programs.
As part of the Stockpile Stewardship Program,
the department will launch several campaigns to
develop new capabilities to assess weapon status,
extend weapon life, and certify that the stockpile
remains safe.
To support these efforts, $2 billion is requested
for these campaigns. The department's Advanced
Strategic Computing Initiative and construction
of the world's largest scientific laser, the National
Ignition Facility, are two examples of the significant
scale and sophistication required in this effort.
The budget calls for $1.03 billion for Safeguards
and Security throughout the DOE complex - a $100
million increase over the FY 2001 enacted level.
Additionally, the request provides $109.7 million
for cyber security - an increase of $32.8 million
above FY2001, to enhance protection of information
in the NNSA and Science programs. This increase
in funding will also be used to improve physical
security throughout the complex and enhance materials
management and surveillance.
In addition to the NNSA programs, there are five
other essential national security programs that
report directly to Secretary Abraham - Intelligence,
Counterintelligence, Independent Oversight and
Performance Assurance, Security and Emergency
Operations, and Worker and Community Transition.
The FY 2002 request for these five programs total
$395.1 million, an increase of $44.4 million or
12.7 percent.
Energy Resources, ($2.3 billion, a decrease of
$196 million, or 7.9 percent below FY2001)
"As the Administration's Energy Policy Development
Task Force crafts a ‘clear strategy' for
addressing America's energy crisis, the department's
future budgets will be shaped in critical ways
by the conclusions of the task force. The budget
has set a course forward without committing the
Bush Administration to spending that may well
need to change once the task force completes its
work. Continuing and expanding programs that have
been in place as the country drifted to the brink
of an energy crisis does not appear to be a wise
course of action. We need a better measure of
success in the energy resource area," said
Secretary Abraham.
The Clean Coal Power Initiative is a new effort
that reflects President Bush's commitment to clean
coal technology. The request provides new funding,
$150 million in federal matching funds, for innovations
in coal-fired power technology.
The new initiative will explore opportunities
to develop a consortium of coal companies, utilities,
and generating equipment vendors to direct coal
research toward the most important problems facing
the entire industry. This cooperative effort,
totaling more than $2 billion over ten years,
will require industry to share the cost of the
research work, with the industry share increasing
as technologies approach commercial states. Participating
companies would take part in program development
and evaluate the progress of the research and
development efforts.
This year's budget also marks the beginning of
the President's commitment to increase funding
for Weatherization Assistance by $1.4 billion
over 10 years.
The department has also requested $273 million,
nearly double the FY2001 enacted level, for Weatherization
Assistance grants to provide heating assistance
to nearly 123,000 low-income families. In addition,
the department will make permanent the Northeast
Home Heating Oil Reserve, and important back up
for needy families impacted by severe weather
conditions.
Environmental Quality ($6.5 billion, a $246 million
decrease, or 3.6 percent below FY2001)
"The Department of Energy is committed to
the timely, safe and effective cleanup of sites
environmentally impacted by the atomic age. First,
we need reform in the environmental management
area and we will begin immediately to conduct
a complete assessment of our environmental management
missions, at which time future budget priorities
will be set and we will work with a stronger,
more efficient environmental management program.
In the meantime, the budget fulfills commitments
to safety and disposal of nuclear materials and
wastes," said Secretary Abraham.
This year's Environmental Management budget of
$5.9 billion fulfills commitments to major closure
sites, promotes important safety and environmental
projects involving treatment and disposal of nuclear
materials, and supports the winterization and
cold standby of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion
Plant in Ohio. The budget also anticipates an
upcoming, comprehensive DOE Environmental Management
Mission Assessment. This assessment will ensure
that taxpayer dollars are used to achieve the
overriding goal of a safe and expeditious cleanup
of DOE weapons sites.
The budget supports design of a new Waste Treatment
and Immobilization Facility at Hanford, Washington,
for highly radioactive waste and, the continued
operation of the Defense Waste Processing Facility
for highly radioactive waste and stabilization
of at-risk nuclear materials at the Savannah River
site in South Carolina.
With this budget the department retains its capability
to receive transuranic waste for permanent disposal
at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad,
New Mexico; continue the movement of spent fuel
to safe, dry storage at the Hanford, Washington,
and Idaho sites; and continue constructing the
Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Plant at Idaho;
and accelerate cleanup activities at Portsmouth,
Ohio.
Science and Technology ($3.2 billion, an increase
of 0.1 percent over FY2001)
"The department will maintain its commitment
to critical scientific research. Our scientific
advances contribute to America's competitiveness
around the world. Our Basic Energy Science program
brings together chemical, biological, and other
sciences to uncover fundamental knowledge that
will help us to better utilize our energy resources.
Our objective, among others, is to learn how to
use our scientific advances to address the department's
missions in energy resources and cleanup,"
said Secretary Abraham.
The budget calls for $19.5 million to support
the next phase of research in the Human Genome
Program - the Genomes to Life - initiative to
explore how genomes account for the functioning
of cells. The department was the initiator of
the Human Genome Program and originally developed
the tools and techniques making sequencing of
the genome feasible and economical.
The first phase of the Human Genome Program had
a major milestone in June 2000 when it completed
a working draft of the human DNA sequence. In
February 2001, the draft sequence was published
for public use.
Also included in this year's science budget is
$443 million for biological and environmental
research, and $166 million for the Advanced Scientific
Computing Research program.
A total of $445 million is requested for the Office
of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. Work
during the fiscal year will focus on continuing
a transition from predominately investigative
science at Yucca Mountain to engineering and design
to support the preparation of a license application
for submittal to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
if the site is determined to be scientifically
suitable.
The budget also includes $140 million for the
Office of Environment, Safety and Health.
Secretary Abraham's Comments
Supporting Documents
Media Contact:Dolline Hatchett, 202/586-5806
Number: R-01-049
|
|
|
|
