For immediate release July 8, 2008

Senate energy and water panel faces today's national security and economic emergencies largely on autopilot

Little new this year in subcommittee markup; tradition of pork-based appropriations with little fundamental review continues

Contact: Greg Mello, 505-265-1200

Albuquerque -- While the full text of today's Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development (SEWD) markup is not yet available, Senator Domenici's efficient press operation makes it possible to understand its key elements.  If you don't have a copy of his press releases (we know of two, one with a New Mexico focus and one with a broader, more national focus) today you may wish to contact Chris Gallegos in the Senator's office at (202) 224-7082.  The present comments will not repeat the factual information provided by Senator Domenici and his staff.

In his opening remarks, Senator Dorgan made it clear that controversial amendments would not be considered by the SEWD but must be submitted to the full Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC), which is scheduled to hear and approve the markup this Thursday at noon.  At about 1:30 into the 31-minute hearing, Sen. Dorgan broadly hinted that the full Committee would be unlikely to entertain controversial markups either.  "That's the way the system works here in the United States Senate," as he put it.

An audio recording of the hearing is available at the SAC web site along with a 4-page summary of the markup, which contains more details about the proposed funding levels for Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation programs than do Senator Domenici's two press releases while omitting most details about Department of Energy (DOE) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) programs. 

Roger Snodgrass' early story about this markup is on the Los Alamos Monitor web site.  You may wish to note SEWD plans to hold a round table late this month or early next month featuring the three NNSA laboratory directors and other DOE lab directors to discuss what Dorgan called a "stabilization plan for funding these national jewels." 

The SEWD overall markup amount is very close to that passed by the House Appropriations Committee (HAC) -- about $2.1 billion (B) more than the President's request. 

The SEWD markup passed by unanimous voice vote.

In the interest of time we are appending below some numerical highlights from the Weapons Activities (WA) portion of the HAC bill, which is available on our web site.  You may wish to compare these figures with those supplied by Sen. Domenici to get an idea of some of the main points of departure between the two bodies in nuclear weapons funding. 

It appears that for now WA funding would be negotiated in the "window" between the Senate ($6.52 B) and the House ($6.20 B), a 5.2% difference.  Current (FY2008) WA funding is $6.30 B.  The Senate-preferred increase is close to inflation rate as officially measured -- for what that is worth. 

Large infrastructure investments signal long-term policy and financial commitments.  So the fate of particular projects, especially those dealing with plutonium at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), such as the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement (CMRR) facility, are of signal importance for national policy -- as well as for, in this case, the future nature of LANL. 

The SEWD would fund the CMRR at $125 million (M), $25 M more than the request; the HAC would zero the project. 

The SEWD would fully fund the LANL Radioactive Liquid Waste Facility Upgrades project; the HAC would zero it.

The SEWD would not fund the new "Transformation Disposition" budget line to dismantle unused buildings at nuclear weapons sites.  The HAC funds this fully. 

The SEWD would increase LANL cleanup funding by some 34% to $245 M, more than the HAC ($200 M) and a hefty increase. 

The SEWD would increase the percent of NNSA laboratory funding taken by Laboratory Research and Development taxes to use at lab director discretion from 8% to 10%. 

From these and other details it is clear that the House and Senate differ philosophically on a number of points. 

As previously noted, Third Congressional District candidate Ben Ray Lujan has to our knowledge not spoken about most of these issues; candidate Carol Miller has.  Congressman and Senate candidate Tom Udall has been fairly circumspect about his detailed views regarding manufacturing additional nuclear weapons, in particular about whether he will introduce an amendment on the floor of the House that promotes nuclear weapons manufacturing (by restoring funding for same at LANL) as he did last year. 

Study Group Director Mello: "It is quite remarkable that with the crises we face in this country, the Senate Energy and Water Subcommittee should report out such a status-quo markup.  It breaks little new ground while continuing old priorities and amply funding a variety of pork-barrel projects.  Senator Domenici is among the worst in this regard.  His thoughtless promotion of all things nuclear at the expense of more effective national policies have hurt the nation and they have hurt New Mexico.  As weapons labs spending in New Mexico has increased, our economic performance has declined. 

"The CMRR project has ballooned to over 4 times its initial cost estimate and our calculations suggest it will increase much more in the coming years if funded.  It may or may not ever be finished but in the meantime it will, if funded, absorb hundreds of millions of dollars from other LANL programs and allow hard-line nuclear proponents to tell themselves they are building the factory they need for a new generations of nuclear weapons.  Congress needs to pull the plug on this project (and another one in Tennessee) and start investing much more in the renewable, energy-efficient future we need, while we still can.  The alternative -- and the course of action implied by this markup's priorities -- is nothing short of economic collapse.

"Neither plutonium warhead core -- pit -- production nor the $3+ B CMRR project will create a significant number of jobs in New Mexico.  Due to past leadership failures, real poverty here is now growing at an explosive rate.  Energy efficiency, renewable energy generation, and sustainable transportation would create those jobs.  They could do so this year, next year, and every year after that -- new, good jobs by the tens of thousands in New Mexico and by the millions nationally.  Private money is looking for a safe haven, and a little federal leadership could provide it.  That kind of leadership has been absent and it is absent in this bill today. 

"The influence of the nuclear labs on these senators is glaringly apparent.  There are glimmers of hope in this bill, but overall, today's lackluster effort is just another turn of the screw holding back the responses we need to the energy and economic crises we face.  This isn't energy leadership.  It's a committee whose leadership has not yet grasped what is happening in this country."

***ENDS***

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                      CONTACT:   CHRIS GALLEGOS

JULY 8, 2007                                            (202) 224-7082

DOMENICI CALLS FY2009 DOE FUNDING BILL “BALANCED”

Boosts Lab Science & Clean Energy Thrust

            WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Pete Domenici today said the Senate’s FY2009 funding plan for the Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear weapons laboratories strikes a balance that will boost science capabilities at the labs while increasing R&D into clean energy technologies.

          Domenici is ranking member on the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee that Tuesday approved the FY2009 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill.  The $33.2 billion bill—which funds DOE, Bureau of Reclamation, Army Corps of Engineers and related agencies like the National Nuclear Security Administration—will be considered by the full Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday.

          “We made an effort to put together a balanced bill that makes deployment of clean energy, environmental cleanup and investment in the science at our nuclear weapons laboratories the top priorities,” Domenici said.  “This bill aggressively supports investments in research and development, and deployment, of alternative energy technologies.  In light of the recent record price for a barrel of oil, these investments are appropriate.”

The bill outlines $27 billion for the Department of Energy (a $1.1 billion increase over the president’s budget request), $5.3 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers ($559 million over the budget request), $1.13 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation ($333 million over the budget request), and $323.5 million for Independent Agencies ($55.5 million increase).

          “I think we have made a real difference in the investments we make in our national laboratories. I believe we have put together a bill that not only recognizes the scientific excellence of the labs, but builds on their capability by expanding scientific research and investing in new facilities,” Domenici said. 

Domenici noted that the bill increases investment in:  new scientific facilities; science, engineering and  advanced computing;  nonproliferation, including building new science capabilities; and a climate change modeling and verification that is similar to the science-based stockpile stewardship program. 

Among major policy initiatives in the bill, Domenici fully supported an additional $673 million for renewable energy, $45 million for the creation of an Integrated University Program for nuclear engineering education; $20 million for a climate stewardship plan for National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) laboratories; an additional $175 million for nuclear nonproliferation; and an additional $474 million for DOE defense environmental cleanup.

Under the Senate plan, the bill has $9.67 billion for NNSA, of which $6.52 billion is outlined for weapons activities (down $93 million from budget request, but $227 million over FY2008), and $1.9 billion for nonproliferation activities ($175 million over the request).  The bill also eliminates $10 million requested for the Reliable Replacement Weapon study, but Domenici indicated his intention to offer a floor amendment to restore this funding.

The bill provides $1.9 billion for the DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account, a $673 million increase over the request, which entails:  $100 million for advanced battery research; $50 million for renewable energy/zero energy demonstrations for localities; $229 million for solar ($50 million for concentrating solar); $30 million for ocean energy; $10 million for solid state lighting; $12 million to implement a cooperative advanced computing simulation effort for renewable energy sources between  Sandia National Laboratories and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado.  The bill also restores $200 million for the DOE Weatherization Program. 

The Senate bill provides $5.8 million for DOE’s Defense Environmental Cleanup, a $474 million increase over the budget request.  Of this amount, $245 million would be directed toward Los Alamos National Laboratory—an $83 million increase over the budget request and a $93 million increase over FY2008 funding levels.  An additional $3 million is provided for cleanup at Sandia.  The bill also provides $269 million for DOE non-defense environmental cleanup, a $40 million increase.

To strengthen scientific diversity at the national laboratories, the bill raises the Lab Directed Research and Development (LDRD) level by 2 percent—to 10 percent from 8 percent of the gross lab budget allocation to diversify the scientific missions at the labs.

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The following is a review of the Senate’s FY2009 Energy & Water Development Appropriations Bill:

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy – $1.9 billion, up $673 million from the president’s budget request

• $100 million for Advanced Battery Research for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)
  
• $50 million for Renewable Energy/Zero Energy Demo for localities
  
• $229 million for Solar
  
• $50 million for Concentrating Solar
  
• $30 million for Ocean Energy (wave, tidal)
  
• $12 million to implement Sandia National Laboratories/National Renewable Energy Laboratory Advanced Computing Simulation for Renewables
  
• $20 million for NNSA labs for Climate Change Modeling Capability, with an additional $5 million for LANL
  
• $200 million restored for Weatherization Program
  
• $10 million for Solid State Lighting

Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability - $167 million, up $33 million from request to increase investment in renewable energy integration into the electric transmission grid

Nuclear Energy - $803 million, down $50.6 million from request

• NP2010 - $241.6 million, fully funding the request to support reactor design activities
  
• Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative - $229 million, down $71 million from request, but up $50 million over FY08 levels
  
• University Research – $45 million to establish a new Integrated University Program involving the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; DOE Office of Nuclear Energy and the Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation to support nuclear engineering research and education
  
• LANL Infrastructure - $15 million, the same as FY08, for upgrades to Material Test Station and Hot Cells 

Fossil Energy - $876 million, up $122 million from request

• Cancels FutureGen Project and shifts $147 million to Clean Coal Projects
  
• Carbon Sequestration Research - $149 million
  
• Electricity-Water Usage - $12 million for R&D to reduce water usage in electricity generation 

Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves - $19 million, same as request

Strategic Petroleum Reserve - $205 million, down $139 million from request

• Cancels existing and planned SPR expansion
  
• >$31.5 million provided for Richton, Miss., site engineering effort

Energy Information Administration - $110.5 million, as requested

Non-Defense Environmental Management – $269 million, up $40 million from request

Science - $4.64 billion, down $81 million from request but up $623 million over FY08

• $20 million for new Climate Stewardship Plan involving NNSA labs
  
• $7 million for LANL Matter-Radiation Interactions in Extremes (MARIE) Conceptual Development
  
• $7 million for continuation of SNL/Oak Ridge Advanced Computing Initiative, a new start in FY08 

Yucca Mountain – $388.4 million, down $106.3 million from request

• Cuts to FY08 levels or $386.4 million

Loan Guarantees – $380 million, providing 1 percent credit of $38 billion in loan guarantees to cover a possible credit subsidy shortfall, enabling loan amounts of $20.5 billion for nuclear power, $10 billion for renewable energy, and $8.0 billion for clean coal.  In addition, $4 billion of loan authority exists from FY07 bill.

DOE WEAPONS ACTIVITIES - $6.525 billion, down $93 million from request, but up $227 million from FY08

Directed Stockpile Work - $1.644 billion, down $31.5 million from request but $242.9 million over FY08

• Reliable Replacement Weapon - $0, for which the budget requested $10 million
  
• LANL Pit Activities – Fully funds pit manufacturing ($145 million cut in House bill) and protects $22 million, with funds transferred from Pit Capability to accelerate pit dismantlement research and to offset job impacts.  This will focus work on MOX fuel produced at LANL on AIRES.
  
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Pit Capability - $10 million provided for Pit Capability to shift LLNL mission to LANL
  

Campaigns - $1.680 billion, up $48 million over request

• Science – $331 million, an $8 million increase; this includes $5 million for LANL plutonium experiments
  
• Engineering –  $163 million, $20 million over request; this includes $20 million for Sandia enhanced surety and surveillance activities
  
• Inertial Confinement Fusion and High Yield – $453.3 million, $32 million over request; this includes $17 million for Z Machine operations at Sandia
  
• Advanced Simulation and Computing -- $573 million, $12 million over request; this includes $7 million for Institute of Advanced Architecture and Algorithm computing, $5.0 million for Sandia computer facility upgrades to support national security needs, and $3.6 million for completion of Roadrunner at LANL
  
• Readiness – $158 million, down $25 million from request, but same as FY08 levels
  
• Readiness in Technical Base and Facilities – $1.703 billion, $17 million below request, but $66 million above FY08 levels.  This includes:
  
  • LANL Operations -- $298 million, up $13 million
    
  • Sandia Operations -- $127 million, same as request
    
  • LANL LANSCE Refurbishment -- $35 million, up $30 million
    
  • LANL TA-55 Reinvestment -- $7.9 million, same as request
    
  • TA-55 Reinvestment Phase II (design) -- $8..5 million, same as request
    
  • LANL Radioactive Liquid Waste Facility -- $19.6 million, same as request
    
  • LANL CMR-R -- $125 million, up $25 million
    
  • Sandia Ion Beam Lab -- $10 million, same as request
    
  • Sandia Test Capabilities facility -- $3.2 million, same as request
    
  • Sandia TA-1 Heating systems -- $15.75 million, same as request
    
    
• Safeguards and Security – $859.8 million, same as request; this includes $46 million for nuclear materials safeguard and security upgrades at LANL.
   
• Transformation Disposition - $0, down $77 million from request for eliminating excess buildings and facilities

Nuclear Nonproliferation -- $1.909 billion, up $175 million from request)

• Nonproliferation R&D – $366 million, up $75 million, including:
  
  • $20 million for Forensics, $30 million investment in lab capabilities, $15 million explosion monitoring;
    
  • $10 million in support of the Integrated University Research Program
    
• Nonproliferation and International Security - $175 million, up $35 million including:
  
  • $20 million for the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative
    
  • $10 million for dismantling activities in North Korea
    
  • $5 million in support of the Integrated University Program
    
• Global Threat Reduction -- $284 million, up $65 million over the request and $91 million over FY08; including $20 million for research reactor fuel HEU alternatives,  and $45 million for global fissile material recover
  
• MOX Construction -- $487 million, as requested

Defense Environmental Cleanup – $5.8 billion, up $500 million from request

• LANL Cleanup - $245 million, up $83 million above request, and $93 million over FY08
  
• WIPP - $231 million, up $20.1 million above request, $3 million below FY08 levels 

independent Agencies – $323.5 million, up $55 million from request

• Appalachian Regional Commission – $85 million
  
• Delta Regional Authority -- $20 million
  
• Denali Commission --  $21.8 million
  
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission –  $163 million

ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS -- $5.3 billion, $559 million over the budget request, but $287 million below FY08 levels.

• General Investigations -- $166 million, $75 million over the budget request, but $1.3 million under FY08
  
• Construction General – $2.0 million, $602.5 million over the budget request, however, only $337.7million over the adjusted base accounting for items that the administration proposed in operations and maintenance that were moved to this account; overall, $289.5 million below FY08 levels
  
• Mississippi River and Tributaries -- $365 million, $125 million over the budget request, and $22.4 million below FY08
  
• Operation and Maintenance -- $2.22 billion, $255 million under the budget request, but  $9.8 million over the adjusted base accounting for items that the administration proposed in operations and maintenance that were moved to Construction, General. Overall, $23.6 million below FY08 levels.
  
• Inland Waterway Trust Fund – This year construction spending out of the trust fund will exceed the annual revenue.  In April, the Administration sent new fee-based authorization language, but the subcommittee has not included this language in the bill.  This controversial issue must be addressed by 2010, or it will begin to have serious impacts on project construction.

Bureau of Reclamation -- $1.13 billion, $333 million over the request and $24.1 million below FY08 levels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                      CONTACT:  CHRIS GALLEGOS
JULY 8, 2008                                                                                  (202) 224-7082

DOMENICI CALLS FY2009 DOE FUNDING BILL “BALANCED”

Senate Takes Different Path, Boosts Lab Science & Clean Energy Thrust

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Pete Domenici today said the Senate’s FY2009 funding plan for the Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear weapons laboratories strikes a balance that will boost science capabilities at the labs while increasing R&D into clean energy technologies.
 
Domenici is ranking member on the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee that Tuesday approved the FY2009 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill. The $33.2 billion bill—which funds DOE, Bureau of Reclamation, Army Corps of Engineers and related agencies like the National Nuclear Security Administration—will be considered by the full Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday.
 
For Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories, Domenici said the Senate bill moves on a different path than that taken by the House Appropriations Committee by avoiding the cuts of nearly $600 million for weapons activities and almost $300 million in stockpile stewardship accounts.  The bill also adds $20 million as requested in the administration’s budget for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad.
 
"We made an effort to put together a balanced bill that makes deployment of clean energy, environmental cleanup and investment in the science at our nuclear weapons laboratories the top priorities,” Domenici said. "This is a more balanced bill because it does not rob Peter to a pay Paul.  We take care of our nuclear security needs while aggressively investing in research and development, and deployment, of alternative energy technologies.  In light of the recent record price for a barrel of oil, these investments are appropriate.”
 
The bill outlines $27 billion for the Department of Energy (a $1.1 billion increase over the president’s budget request), $5.3 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers ($559 million over the budget request), $1.13 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation ($333 million over the budget request), and $323.5 million for Independent Agencies ($55.5 million increase).
 
Domenici stressed the importance of the bill’s investment in science missions at the national laboratories, including raising the Lab Directed Research and Development (LDRD) level by 2 percent—to 10 percent from 8 percent of the gross lab budget allocation to diversify the scientific missions at the labs.
 
At LANL, Domenici highlighted a $5 million addition to give the lab a role in Climate Change Modeling Capability, with another $20 million going to all three National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) labs for this work.  The bill also devotes $7 million to the Matter-Radiation Interactions in Extremes (MaRIE) initiative at LANL, and provides $26 million for the labs’ Roadrunner supercomputer.
 
For Sandia, the bill offers $12 million to implement a cooperative advanced computing simulation effort for renewable energy sources between Sandia National Laboratories and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado.  
 
“I think we have made a real difference in the investments we make in our national laboratories. I believe we have put together a bill that not only recognizes the scientific excellence of the labs, but builds on their capability by expanding scientific research and investing in new facilities,” Domenici said.
 
Under the Senate plan, the bill has $9.67 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), of which $6.52 billion is outlined for weapons activities (down $93 million from budget request, but $227 million over FY2008), and $1.9 billion for nonproliferation activities ($175 million over the request).  The bill also eliminates $10 million requested for the Reliable Replacement Weapon study, but Domenici indicated his intention to offer a floor amendment to restore the funding.
 
Domenici reported that the Senate bill adds $25 million to increase funding for the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement facility at LANL, providing $125 million for the project.  The budget request was for $100 million, and the House eliminated this funding.
 
Where the House eliminated $145 million for all pit manufacturing activities at LANL, the Senate bill provides full funding for pit manufacturing and protects $22 million, transferring funds from Pit Capability to pit dismantlement research and offsetting job impacts.  This will focus work on MOX fuel produced at LANL on AIRES.  In addition, another $10 million is provided to shift pit capability work now at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to LANL.
 
The Senate bill provides $5.8 million for DOE’s Defense Environmental Cleanup, a $474 million increase over the budget request.  Of this amount, $245 million would be directed toward LANL—an $83 million increase over the budget request and a $93 million increase over FY2008 funding levels.  An additional $3 million is provided for cleanup at Sandia.  
 
Domenici also worked to make up a proposed funding cut at WIPP, with the subcommittee providing $231 million, up $20.1 million above the budget request.  This funding level, however, remains $3 million below FY08 levels.
 
Among major policy initiatives in the bill, Domenici fully supported an additional $673 million for renewable energy, $45 million for the creation of an Integrated University Program for nuclear engineering education; $20 million for a climate stewardship plan for NNSA laboratories; an additional $175 million for nuclear nonproliferation; and an additional $474 million for DOE defense environmental cleanup.
 
Domenici noted that the bill increases investment in:  new scientific facilities; science, engineering and  advanced computing;  nonproliferation, including building new science capabilities; and a climate change modeling and verification that is similar to the science-based stockpile stewardship program.
 
The bill provides $1.9 billion for the DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account, a $673 million increase over the request, which entails:  $100 million for advanced battery research; $50 million for renewable energy/zero energy demonstrations for localities; $229 million for solar ($50 million for concentrating solar); $30 million for ocean energy; and $10 million for solid state lighting.  The bill also restores $200 million for the DOE Weatherization Program.

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The following is a review of funded items in the Senate’s FY2009 Energy & Water Development Appropriations Bill that are of interest to New Mexico:

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

DOE WEAPONS ACTIVITIES - $6.525 billion, down $93 million from request, but up $227 million from FY08

Directed Stockpile -- $1.64 billion, down $31.5 million from the request but $242.9 million over FY08.  LANL is expected to receive $375.4 million and Sandia is expected to receive $379 million.
 
Nuclear Nonproliferation -- $1.909 billion, up $175million from request

• Nonproliferation R&D – $366 million, up $75 million, including:
  
  • $20 million for Forensics, $30 million investment in lab capabilities, $15 million explosion monitoring;
    
  • $10 million in support of the Integrated University Research Program
    
• Nonproliferation and International Security - $175 million, up $35 million including:
  
  • $20 million for the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative
    
  • $10 million for dismantling activities in North Korea
    
  • $5 million in support of the Integrated University Program

• Global Threat Reduction -- $284 million, up $65 million over the request and $91 million over FY08); including $20 million for research reactor fuel HEU alternatives,  and $45 million for global fissile material recovery
  
• MOX Construction -- $487 million, as requested
  
• Reliable Replacement Weapon – This program is not funded, but Domenici plans a floor amendment to fund the administration’s $10 million request for an RRW study

 
LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY  

LANSCE Refurbishment – $35 million, $30 million over the budget request, for this work which is key to advancing the LANL MaRIE project

Matter-Radiation Interactions in Extremes (MaRIE) – $7.0 million in DOE science funding added by Domenici to support development of this new science facility, which would be a next-generation facility to investigate advanced materials under extreme pressure and radiation environments

Climate Change Modeling Capability – $5 million added by Domenici for LANL, with an additional $20 million for all NNSA labs

LANL Pit Activities – Fully funds pit manufacturing ($145 million cut in House bill) and protects $22 million, with funds transferred from Pit Capability to accelerate pit dismantlement research and to offset job impacts.  This will focus work on MOX fuel produced at LANL on AIRES.  In addition, another $10 million is provided to shift pit capability work now at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to LANL

Environmental Management & Cleanup (EM) – $245 million, $83 million over the budget request and $93 million over FY08, for cleanup of LANL property.  This funding is necessary to allow LANL to make progress on milestones set in a Consent Order agreement between the NNSA and the state of New Mexico.

Roadrunner Petaflop – $26 million in Advanced Simulation Computing funding to complete the computing acquisition for the Roadrunner supercomputer, which recently accomplished a petaflop computation (a thousand trillion computations per second).  The Roadrunner gives LANL the capability to simulate complex physics experiments to validate the reliability of the U.S. stockpile, without underground testing. 

Nuclear Energy – $15 million for LANL infrastructure upgrades to Material Test Station and Hot Cells to support nuclear fuel development

Readiness in Technical Base and Facilities (RTBF) – $1.703 billion overall for DOE facilities to provide critical funding to support operations and provides salaries to lab employees. Within this account, LANL receives $298 million, up $13 million to accommodate security improvements, including the following:     

Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Facility (CMR-R) -- $125 million, $24 million over the budget request to continue development of this facility

TA-55 Reinvestment Project – $7.9 million, the same as the budget request

TA-55 Reinvestment -- $8.5 million for Phase II design

Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility -- $19.6 million, the same as request

Safeguards and Security – $859.8 million complex-wide, same as the request; this includes $46 million for nuclear materials safeguard and security upgrades at LANL

Manhattan Project Site Restoration– $500,000 added by Domenici

SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORY
 
Readiness in Technical Base and Facilities (RTBF) – $1.703 billion overall for DOE facilities to provide critical funding to support operations and provides salaries to lab employees. Within this account, Sandia receives $127 million, the same as the budget request and FY08
 
Directed Stockpile Work – $1.644 billion, $242 million over FY08.  Sandia is estimated to receive $379 million estimate worth from this $1.64 billion account.
 
Z machine -- $102 million, a $17 million increase, to support full shift operations.  The funding is within $453.3 million provided within the Inertial Confinement Fusion and High Yield account.
 
Concentrating Solar – $50 million to support pilot scale demonstration of concentrating solar and $3 million is provided to Sandia to support a lab scale demonstration facility to produce hydrogen from high temperature thermochemical process. Sandia is a partner in the ongoing hydrogen production research program. Domenici also added $2 million to support the La Samilla Solar Trough Storage Project at Sandia.

Solid State Lighting – $10 million for solid state lighting, to support research in Solid State Lighting Research. Sandia has been designated as the NationalCenter for Solid State Lighting.
Energy/Water Research - $12 million through Fossil Energy account to support research on water and energy usage and to employ water efficiency technology.  Sandia will benefit from this research.  
 
Advanced Simulation and Computing – $7 million to continue a Domenici proposal that directed the directing the NNSA and the Office of Science to sustain an Institute of Advanced Architecture and Algorithms at Sandia and Oak Ridge national labs.  In addition, $5 million for Sandia computer facility upgrades to support national security needs
 
Renewable Energy Advanced Computing – $12 million to implement a cooperative advanced computing simulation effort for renewable energy sources between  Sandia and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado.  
 
Center for Integrated Nanotechnolgy - $20 million for CINT for this joint Sandia and Los Alamos venture at Kirtland Air Force Base, funding provided to initiate operation.  Domenici added an additional $5 million for Sandia’s nano-engineering institute.
 
Ion Beam Lab -- $10 million, same as the budget request, to continue the refurbishment of the Ion Beam Lab at Sandia. This antiquated building can tap available contingency funds to upgrade this facility, which supports the stockpile surveillance program needs repairs.  The estimated cost of this project is $40 million.  Domenici secured $10 million in FY08.  
 
Enhanced Surety - $163 million, $20 million over the budget, to support the Engineering Campaign, with $20 million directed toward Sandia for enhanced surety and surveillance activities.    

Sandia TA-1 -- $15.75 million, same as the budget request, for Sandia TA-1 heating upgrade.  About $22.3 million was provided in FY08  
 
Test Capabilities Facility Revitalization, Phase II, SNL – $3.2 million, the budget request, for the recovery of this Sandia facility and the expected cost and timetable.
 
WASTE ISOLATION  PILOT PLANT  
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) -- $231.6 million, up $20.1 million above the request and $3 million below FY08 funding levels.  The bill provides:

Operations: $146.1 million, $20.1 million over the request

Central Characterization: $29 million, $3.5 million below FY08

Transportation:  $28 million, $1.2 million above FY08

Community Support:  $27 million, $1 million above FY08

Center for Excellence and Hazardous Materials (Carlsbad) – $2.0 million, included by Domenici
 
WIPP Records Archive (Carlsbad) – $4.0 million, included by Domenici

OTHER NEW MEXICO PROJECTS

MIND Institute – $12 million for the Mental Illness and Neuroscience Discovery (MIND) Institute, which includes three national centers of excellence in functional brain imaging in Albuquerque, Minneapolis, and Boston.  The New Mexico center of excellence involves the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories.

New Mexico State University ArrowheadCenter – $1.0 million

Technology Ventures Corp. (TVC) Albuquerque – $3.0 million to support technology transfer from each of the three weapons labs

Hawaii-NMSU Sustainable Energy Security Partnership –- $3.0 million