Udall, Heinrich Urge President to Revise Budget To Address Changes In Design And Operation At WIPP

Sen. Tom Udall

U.S. Senate News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich urge President Obama to send Congress an amendment to his Fiscal Year 2015 Budget to ensure that the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) has the funding it needs to continue implementing the recommendations of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Accident Investigation Boards, including required changes in design and operation.

A fire and radiation release earlier this year have left WIPP closed while the Department of Energy investigates the root cause of the accidents and develops a recovery plan for WIPP.

Sen. Martin Heinrich

The president’s original FY15 budget request included $220.5 million to maintain and operate WIPP, but did not account for the impact of the two accidents.

WIPP is the nation’s only deep geologic repository for transuranic nuclear weapons waste and an integral part of the environmental clean-up of Cold War programs at DOE defense sites around the country. 

The Senators wrote in a letter to the President:

“Though a preliminary recovery plan for WIPP has been discussed with our offices, an official position from the Administration and the DOE has not been provided to Congress. As Congressional committees begin work on the FY15 appropriations bills, to ensure transparency we believe a revised budget justification that addresses all critical needs for recovery of WIPP should be completed and an amended budget request submitted to Congress as soon as possible. Additionally, WIPP is likely to require recovery spending in FY16 and we urge you to give consideration to the extra amounts needed to restore full operations at WIPP.”
 

Search
LOS ALAMOS

ladailypost.com website support locally by OviNuppi Systems