House and Senate appropriators have approved spending bills that would increase funding for nuclear and other waste cleanup activities at the Energy Department's environmental management program in fiscal year 2014, while Senate defense authorizers are also recommending a boost but are calling for stepped-up scrutiny of the costly Hanford waste treatment plant (WTP) development. The House Appropriations Committee June 25 approved by a 28-21 vote water and energy appropriations legislation that would allocate $5.5 billion for DOE's overall environmental cleanup activities - a figure $243 million, or 4 percent, below the FY13 enacted level, but $185 million, or 3.5 percent, higher than the programs' funding level after sequestration cuts enacted in March.
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