March 17, 2014

SENATE APPROPRIATORS PROVIDE TRANSFER AUTHORITY FOR USEC ACP FUNDING

By ExchangeMonitor

The National Nuclear Security Administration won’t get the $150 million it requested for research, development and demonstration funding for USEC’s American Centrifuge Project from Senate appropriators, but it will finally receive transfer authority DOE long sought for the project. Though the full version of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee’s version of the FY2013 Energy and Water Appropriations Act hasn’t been released, subcommittee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said yesterday that the bill would include language supporting the transfer authority as the panel cleared the bill. DOE requested transfer authority from Congress that would allow it to fund the FY2012 portion of funding for a two-year $300 million enrichment RD&D, but Congress balked at the concept amid concerns that it would represent an earmark for USEC.

The transfer authority would allow the NNSA to find money for USEC from accounts across the agency, while freeing up nonproliferation funds and work to secure vulnerable nuclear material around the world, which Feinstein said was the panel’s “highest priority.” With the extra nonproliferation funding, the panel boosted funding for several programs, including the agency’s Second Line of Defense program. It added $54 million for the program to install radiation detection equipment at border crossings, airports and ports around the world, and also added funds to support HEU reactor conversion work and domestic radiological work.

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