(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Committee, announced that she has worked to add $120 million for clean-up activities at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in the 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. The additional funding was part of an overall increase of $319.3 million for Environmental Management (EM) that Murray included in the bill. Senator Murray has been the lead advocate in the U.S. Senate for consistent and adequate budgets for EM and Hanford cleanup.
“This is an important step to restoring funding for big cleanup priorities like ground water protection and waste treatment,” said Senator Murray. “This will also help us capitalize on the money included in the Recovery Act that has accelerated cleanup and put workers back on the job.
“I have been clear that every year we need to spend what it takes to meet our legal and moral obligations to cleanup. So when critical funding like this is targeted to be cut, I’ll continue to work to ensure that it is restored. While some in Washington, D.C. may not understand the sacrifices of communities like the Tri-Cities, I do.”
Under the Obama Administration, Senator Murray has said that she expects, and will work for, consistent yearly funding for Hanford cleanup. After including nearly $2 billion for Hanford cleanup in the Economic Recovery Act, Senator Murray has worked to ensure that Administration officials understand that while the one-time spending boost is helpful, meeting cleanup goals will require adequate budgets on a yearly basis.
In May, after President Obama released his budget request for EM , Murray said that his budget “doesn’t cut it” and pledged to boost funding.
Later that month, when Energy Secretary David Chu appeared before the Energy and Water Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray reiterated her commitment to working for funding levels that meet cleanup goals:
“My position is clear and the Administration can expect it to remain consistent. And that is what I want for these budgets,” Senator Murray told Dr. Chu. “I want budgets that clearly meet the obligations we have to the nation and the states and communities that are home to these cleanup sites. And I want budgets that consistently make progress toward the goal to clean up the waste. Funding highs and lows don’t get us there.” (LISTEN)
The 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations bill passed the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee today and will be considered by the full Appropriations Committee tomorrow. The bill will then be voted on by the full Senate and be reconciled with similar legislation in the House of Representatives.
FUNDING LEVELS FOR EM AND HANFORD CLEANUP IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2010 ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS BILL:
TOTAL HANFORD FUNDING: $2,128,732,000
Office of River Protection: $1,098,000,000
Hanford Site: $1,023,080,000
Fast Flux Test Facility: $7,652,000
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