Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray released the following statement after the Obama Administration released its funding proposal for cleanup of nuclear waste at the Hanford site for fiscal year 2015, which includes strong funding levels for the Office of River Protection, but is tens of millions below requested funding levels for Richland Operations.
“Despite the strength of the President’s overall budget proposal, I am very concerned by the proposed funding levels for nuclear waste cleanup at the Hanford site,” said Senator Murray. “The cleanup work at Hanford is one of Washington state’s most important environmental priorities, so despite real budget restraints, it is critical for the federal government to provide the necessary resources to meet its obligations and keep cleanup work on schedule. I will be asking the Administration to explain how they reached these proposed funding levels, and whether this proposal will allow the federal government to meet its legal obligations to fund ongoing cleanup work at Hanford.”
As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray is the leading advocate for federal funding for Hanford cleanup work, and secured $2.15 billion for Hanford in the final 2014 spending bill.
Tomorrow, at a U.S. Senate Budget Committee Hearing, Senator Murray will question Office of Management and Budget Director Sylvia Burwell on whether the Administration’s proposed budget for 2015 will allow the federal government to meet its cleanup milestones at Hanford and sites across the country.
Below are the 2015 funding levels for Hanford cleanup work proposed by the Obama Administration:
$2.083 billion for Hanford cleanup:
- $848 million for Richland Operations, tens of millions less than requested funding levels.
- $1.235 billion Office of River Protection
- $690 million for the Waste Treatment Plant, which matches 2014 funding levels.
- $545 million for tank farm activities, a $24.7 million increase over 2014 funding levels.
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