ML20196H333
| ML20196H333 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 07/16/1997 |
| From: | Shirley Ann Jackson, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Mcdade J HOUSE OF REP., APPROPRIATIONS |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9707250081 | |
| Download: ML20196H333 (2) | |
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1 #'o arb UNITED STATES i
[ NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION i.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 hp, '
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""" July 16,1997 i
l The Honorable Joseph McDade, Chairman Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Committee on Appropriations i United States House of Representative Washington DC 20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
I want to bring to your attention two concems about the House Appropriations Subcommittee
, on Energy and Water Development proposed reduction of $14.8 million to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's FY 1998 budget request.
Our first _concem is that the proposal would appropriate $13 million in Nuclear Waste Funds to l NRC - $4 million less than the $17 million NRC believes is the minimum appropriate prelicensing program. This 24 percent reduction will adversely affect the NRC's ability to maintain a strong independent scientific capability to review the Department of Energy's high-level waste activities. In addition, this level of reduction could jeopardize NRC's ability to !
complete a timely review of DOE's viability assessment, and in the longer term, would impact NRC's ability to keep pace with the national high-level waste program. Timely resolution to the l high-level waste problem is important to the nation as well as the nuclear industry. We urge
. you to restore the $4 million reduction.
i Our second concern is the proposed $10.8 million reduction to the agency's core fee-based j budget. I would note that the budget as proposed took into account the workload reductions due to decommissioning power reactors and the increase in the number of Agreement States.
It also made other workload-related reductions in areas such as advanced reactor certification.
As a result of these and other cost-cutting efforts, NRC's budget has been reduced approximately $60 million and 400 FTE over the past five years.
The effect of a further $10.8 million reduction on the fee-based portion of our budget will mean
- the postponement of initiatives which are expected to create efficiencies and make the agency more effective in the future. This includes delaying the implementation of our Agencywide /
Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), which is essential to improving the g cost efficiency and safety effectiveness of our licensing and inspection capabilities. It is also an important component in addressing the agency's electronic Freedom of Information Act responsibilities as well as avoiding spending up to $1 million to correct year 2000 problems with .
existing systems that ADAMS will replace. My fellow Commissioners and I have further reviewed the FY 1998 budget over the past three days and our preliminary view is that further reductions will likely melude eliminating funds for States to perform independent environmental and radiation monitoring in emergency planning zones at power reactor sites; delaying information that could be used by licensees to decide whether to pursue renewal of their reactor licenses; and eliminating NRC's severe reactor accident rist cesearch, ending our capability to 9707250081 970716 PDR COMMS NRCC
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i The Honorable Joseph McDade resolve remaining uncertainties about accidents similar to the one at TMI-2 and to develop mitigating measures. These are not reductions which the Commission would recommend be taken at this time, and we would strongly urge that the $10.8 million be restored in the full committee mark-up.
I appreciate the opportunity that we have been given to express our concems and to describe the impacts that the Subcommittee's reduction will have on our programs. I would be pleased to discuss our concems in more detail with you.
Sincerc:y, M d--~
Shirley Ann Jackson-cc: Representative Vic Fazio i
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