As the clock counts down on the across-the-board funding cuts known as sequestration, the Department of Energy is warning federal employees of the potential need for furloughs as one of several possible responses DOE is considering. In an undated memo obtained yesterday by WC Monitor, Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman told employees that the Department is “carefully considering how to use the various tools at our disposal to reduce costs in order to mitigate as much as possible the disruption to our operations, our programs, and all of you” if sequestration is implemented. “We are closely examining contracts, grants, and other forms of expenditures across the Department to determine where we can reduce costs. In many cases, this could mean making cuts to vital programs or curtailing spending on contracts. We will also take steps, wherever possible, to cut operational or administrative costs in areas such as travel, training, facilities, and supplies,” Poneman said.
He also said that DOE “may also have to consider placing employees on temporary furlough, or taking other personnel actions, should sequestration occur.” Poneman added, “With respect to furloughs, should we have to pursue this unfortunate course of action, let me assure you that all affected employees would be provided at least 30 days’ notice prior to executing a furlough. We will also continue to engage in discussions with employee unions as appropriate, to ensure that any furloughs are applied in a fair and appropriate manner.”
The sequestration process is set to involve a total of $1.2 trillion in funding cuts, equally divided between defense and non-defense funding, over 10 years unless similar deficit reduction legislation is approved. For DOE’s Office of Environmental Management, sequestration would entail a 7.3 percent cut for defense environmental cleanup funding and cuts of 5.1 percent to non-defense environmental cleanup funding and uranium enrichment D&D funding. For the National Nuclear Security Administration, sequestration is set to entail a cut of approximately 7.3 percent. The cuts were set to go into effect on Jan. 2, but lawmakers pushed it back by two months, to March 1, unless further action is taken.
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