Continuing Budget Constraints May Slow FY14 DOE Cleanup Work

摘要

House appropriators' decision to approve reduced fiscal year 2014 budget allocations is prompting fears within the nuclear cleanup watchdog community that the Energy Department's Environmental Management (EM) program could see additional reductions on top of FY13 sequestration cuts that may delay cleanup actions. Of concern are draft FY14 budget allocations approved by House appropriators last month that would set budget authority for the Energy & Water Development account at $30.426 billion. That would be a cut of $2.9 billion, or 8.7 percent, from the FY13 allocation of $33.3 billion minus the Hurricane Sandy supplemental. The account determines funding for the Department of Energy (DOE), including the EM program, as well as Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects and the Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation activities in the coming fiscal year.