Spending Bill to Provide $345 Million for MOX, Directs Continued Construction

摘要

Despite the Administration’s plans for a shutdown of the project, construction of the Mixed Oxide Fuel FabricationrnFacility would continue at the $345 million funding level included in the Fiscal Year 2015 spending bill released byrnCongressional appropriators this week. That compares to the $196 million included in the Administration’s FY’15rnbudget request, which called for work on the plant to be ramped down as it moves into a “cold standby” modernwhile the Department of Energy examined alternatives to the facility. However, the proposed legislation “includesrnstatutory language that prohibits the NNSA from using funds to place the project in cold standby in fiscal yearrn2015,” and instead directs continued construction, according to a report accompanying the legislation. The Housernpassed the omnibus spending package late this week and the full Senate is expected to vote on the bill before thernexpiration of a short two-day extension on Dec. 13.