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PORTS,
WATERWAYS AND FLOOD MANAGEMENT
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers performs
critical services to develop, manage and protect this Nation’s water
resources, such as navigation, flood management, regulation of wetlands, and
restoration of environmental resources. These
services provide this Nation with the ability to trade internationally.
Each year, the U.S. marine transportation system moves $1 trillion of
domestic and international freight. Ninety-five percent of our overseas
trade by value flows through ports and waterways.
Grain exports and domestic cargo also rely on the maritime system. The industry also pays approximately $22 billion annually in
federal taxes and assessments, like Customs duties. Across the nation, flood management and shore protection
projects prevent an estimated $16 billion in damages annually. These projects
rely on the management of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Despite the value to the nation of these projects, and large
and unmet improvement and maintenance needs, the proposed FY’02 budget cuts
Corps of Engineers funding by a devastating 14 percent.
SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH
The DOE is the nation's largest supporter of fundamental research
in the physical sciences, involving 11,300 PhDs, 4000 graduate students and 7000
other workers and researchers nationwide. Its programs in high energy and
nuclear physics, advanced scientific computation, fusion energy sciences,
biological and environmental research, and basic energy sciences support
virtually every area of scientific advance in our economy, including in health
care. Further, DOE's large laboratories support scientists from many other
agencies, industries, and disciplines. Yet, from 1990 to 2000
sub-inflation budgets have shed one quarter of the DOE science workforce.
U.S. pre-eminence in DOE's critically important fields of research is
jeopardized, and the pipeline of scientists and engineers vital to the U.S.
economy is declining rapidly.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SUPPLY
The energy crisis facing us today dictates increased investment in
the energy research programs of the Department of Energy. Many of the
energy and efficiency technologies that we take for granted today have come from
Department of Energy research programs. For example, energy research
programs of the Department are directly responsible for the present generation
of nuclear power plants that supply approximately 23% of the nation's electric
power. Department of Energy
research is also largely responsible for continued and substantial improvements
in the efficiency and affordability of solar, wind and other renewable energy
sources. In spite of this record of success, renewable energy programs suffer a
$136 million or 36% reduction in the President's budget. Nuclear energy science
and technology is reduced by $54.5 million or nearly 20%.
WESTERN WATER
Federal water storage and management projects
of the Bureau of Reclamation have historically been key to much of the western
U.S. economy. They remain vitally important to the west. Nonetheless, many
of these projects are over 40 years old and carry with them an estimated $5
billion backlog of new work and maintenance that needs to be performed. Recent
drought conditions and a population in the west that has grown 19.7 percent in
the past decade make adequate maintenance of western water systems essential.
In spite of these important needs, the President's budget makes a nearly 5%
reduction in this area, a loss compounded by inflation.
WESTERN
POWER: ELECTRIC RELIABILITY AND
UPGRADES
At over 40 years old, most of the transmission lines, substations,
and transformers in the West are deteriorating and strained to capacity.
System reliability is jeopardized, particularly with respect to crucial
inter-regional transfers. Yet, the
Western Area Power Administration’s construction budget would decline 40% to
$20 million in FY 02, even though a minimum of $50 million is necessary. Similar needs for additions and replacements to aging
infrastructure require $15 million for the Southwestern Power Administration.
The Bonneville Power Administration should be encouraged to increase
borrowing authority to rebuild infrastructure and construct new transmission.
ENVIRONMENTAL
RESTORATION
An apparent cut of $355 million in the
Administration's FY 02 proposal for the restoration of sites associated with the
nation's nuclear defense is actually a $450 million reduction from FY 01
($6.26 billion) when extraneous issues are factored out. This damage
becomes significantly worse against a backdrop of an additional $1 billion
necessary above FY 01 levels to meet compliance requirements in FY 02 and
beyond. Hundreds of on-going field projects would be cancelled,
threatening hundreds of subcontracts. Court enforceable milestones will be
violated, risking fines and penalties, and delays and terminations will only
drive up long range costs. Further, several cross site activities might be
jeopardized, including shipment of TRU wastes to WIPP, shipment and storage of
spend nuclear fuel and disposition of low level wastes on an off site facility.
NUCLEAR
DETERRENCE AND NON-PROLIFERATION
The Department of Energy is responsible for maintaining the
reliability of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile and for the scientific
research associated with that mission. In the absence of weapons testing, the
Department is putting into place scientific facilities and capabilities
necessary to ensure the reliability and safety of our nuclear weapons and the
human and technological infrastructure needed to back it up. Additionally,
several recent studies have shown the underlying physical infrastructure of the
weapons complex to be seriously deteriorated: the average age of the facilities
is 40 years; an $800 million backlog of work exists today with a need for an
additional $300 to $500 million needed per year for the next 17 years. In
addition, programs at the Department of Energy are key elements of U.S.
non-proliferation policy - - these programs suffer an overall cut of over $100
million or 11% in the President's budget submission.
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