DOE CLEANUP, SAFETY CHIEFS TO TESTIFY TOGETHER BEFORE HOUSE APPROPRIATORS

In a rare occurrence, the heads of the Department of Energy’s offices of Environmental Management and Health, Safety and Security are set to testify together before House appropriators at an upcoming hearing, WC Monitor has learned. By having the two officials testify together, House appropriators appear to be signaling that they’ll be focusing heavily on the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant as they examine EM’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget request. The project—the largest in DOE’s cleanup program—has come under heavy scrutiny over safety culture concerns, lingering technical issues and potential cost and schedule overruns. The hearing has not yet been scheduled, though the Obama Administration is expected to officially submit its FY 2013 budget request to Congress in mid-February.