Kenneth Fletcher
WC Monitor
5/22/2015
Senate appropriators this week matched the Department of Energy’s proposed funding cut for D&D activities at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant next year, raising concerns of major layoffs at the site. The Senate version of the Fiscal Year 2016 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, reported out of committee, would provide about $165.4 million for Portsmouth, a cut of about $48.6 million below enacted levels. “At the funding level in our bill, 500 workers will lose their jobs next year and progress on cleaning up this facility will be slowed. There simply wasn’t enough non-defense funding in this bill to meet our government’s commitments at the site,” Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said at the full committee markup of the bill. “Additional funding would keep the workforce intact and make progress in building the onsite disposal facility needed there.”
Earlier this month, DOE also announced plans to cut the amount of uranium transfers that help fund cleanup at Portsmouth, which is expected to have an impact of about $65 million in Fiscal Year 2016 for site cleanup contractor Fluor-B&W Portsmouth. However, the House version of the FY’16 Energy and Water spending bill that passed early this month would boost appropriated funds for Portsmouth to $213.4 million. That comes after proposed budget cuts in FY’15 led to the threat of hundreds of layoffs there. Fluor-B&W Portsmouth was able to avoid such layoffs, though, after lawmakers provided an additional $76.4 million as part of the final FY 2015 appropriations legislation passed in December.
More Money for Paducah, Oak Ridge D&D Work
Meanwhile, cleanup activities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant would fare much better in the Senate bill. Senate appropriators provided $199.9 million, a $31 million increase above DOE’s budget request. D&D work at enrichment facilities at Oak Ridge also saw an increase of $40.4 million over the request to a total of $194.6 million in the Senate bill.
Senate Also Looks to Provide New Money for Uranium Enrichment D&D Fund
D&D work at the Oak Ridge, Paducah and Portsmouth sites is paid for largely from the federal uranium enrichment D&D fund. DOE has sought over the past several years to obtain funding for new federal contributions into the fund, and it appears the Department may be successful in FY 2016. The Senate version of the energy spending bill would provide $614 million for a new contribution to the fund, more than DOE’s request of approximately $472 million. The House version of the spending bill would match DOE’s request.
