With the bulk of the federal government now operating under a six-month Continuing Resolution that maintains funding at approximately Fiscal Year 2012 levels, the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management is seeking to minimize potential layoffs that could occur at some cleanup sites because of funding issues. As a result of the CR, some cleanup sites where DOE had sought additional funding in FY 2013 could be facing the risk of layoffs, Senior Advisor for Environmental Management David Huizenga said yesterday at a meeting of the chairs of EM’s Site-Specific Advisory Boards, held in Washington. As examples, Huizenga cited DOE’s Idaho site, Oak Ridge and the Savannah River Site.
As part of its planning for operating under the CR, DOE’s financial office is holding back 5 percent of available funding for the various program offices “to make sure we don’t over-run and overspend,” Huizenga said. EM, though, is seeking to obtain “all of the money” to help prevent layoffs, he said. “They’ve been responsive,” Huizenga said, adding, “We’re also working with the Office of Management and Budget to make sure that they apportion all of the money as fast as they can.” He went on to say, “I think we’re basically pulling out all of the stops [and] trying to do what we can to minimize the potential layoffs that are associated with this CR.”
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