Kenneth Fletcher
WC Monitor
5/15/2015

The Senate Armed Services Committee late this week completed its version of the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, which sets authorized funding levels for defense environmental cleanup. The bill authorizes $5.5 billion in funding for the Department of Energy’s defense environmental management programs, matching the administration’s FY’16 budget request. It also authorizes increases over DOE’s overall budget request in several areas, according to a Committee press release. That includes $20 million to accelerate waste cleanup, $120 million for deferred maintenance and $30 million for infrastructure improvements, though it is unclear how much of that funding would be set aside for the Office of Environmental Management.

The bill also includes several policy provisions, including a requirement for DOE “as part of the award fee for the operation of its defense nuclear facilities, to perform an assessment of the adequacy of its emergency preparedness, including the seniority level of Department of Energy Officials that participate in emergency preparedness exercises of the facilities.” It also requires a plan for the transfer of excess facilities at the National Nuclear Security Administration to the Office of Environmental Management for cleanup.