DOE says president’s budget invests in innovation, clean energy, national security

April 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Daniel B. Poneman

Daniel B. Poneman

A U.S. Department of Energy official on Wednesday said the president’s $28.4 billion budget request for DOE emphasizes a “continued commitment to an all-of-the-above energy strategy that prioritizes investments in innovation, clean energy technologies, and national security.”

President Barack Obama released his budget proposal for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 on Wednesday. It still has to be considered by Congress.

U.S. Deputy Secretary Daniel B. Poneman said the proposed budget request for DOE is part of an administration-wide effort to “strengthen the American economy with energy that is cleaner, cheaper, and creates sustainable jobs. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Sequester scenarios: DOE contractors in Tennessee could furlough 1,400, lose $90 million

March 7, 2013 By 2 Comments
Daniel B. Poneman

Daniel B. Poneman

The federal funding cuts that went into effect March 1 could result in 1,400 furloughs or layoffs for U.S. Department of Energy contractors in Tennessee, an official said this week. The furloughs could start as early as April 1.

There could also be spending reductions of about $90 million for DOE contractors in the Volunteer State, DOE Deputy Secretary Daniel B. Poneman said in a March 5 letter to Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.

Funding for contractors at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge could be cut by roughly $41 million, and more than 1,000 contractor employees could be furloughed, Poneman said.

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Filed Under: Federal, Government, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Y-12 security breach ‘obvious dereliction of duty’

September 13, 2012 By 3 Comments

Lawmakers criticized federal officials and contractors during congressional hearings this week on the July 28 security breach at the Y-12 National Security Complex, demanding to know who had been fired and who had been responsible for repairing critical cameras that didn’t work.

“This level of intrusion into the perimeter of a highly secure nuclear weapons facility is unprecedented—and it is completely unacceptable,” said Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican who chairs the U.S. House Strategic Forces Subcommittee. “It is outrageous to think that the greatest threat to the American public from weapons of mass destruction may be the incompetence of Department of Energy security.”

Legislators took aim at federal officials and the “mind-boggling incompetence” of contractors. They wanted to know how an 82-year-old nun was able to reach the “Fort Knox” of uranium, a building inside a high-security area at Y-12 surrounded by fences and protected by alarms and cameras—and where deadly force is authorized.

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U.S. House subcommittee grills federal officials on Y-12 security breach

September 12, 2012 By 4 Comments
Transform Now Plowshares

During a Wednesday hearing, a House subcommittee questioned federal officials about a July 28 intrusion into a high-security area at the Y-12 National Security Complex by the three anti-nuclear weapons activists pictured above. From left to right, the three are Michael R. Walli, Megan Rice, and Greg Boertje-Obed. (Submitted photo)

Members of a U.S. House subcommittee grilled federal officials during a Wednesday morning hearing on the July 28 security breach at the Y-12 National Security Complex, calling it “appalling” and an “all-out failure,” and asking who had been fired and who was responsible for various problems—such as security cameras that didn’t work.

Some of the harshest criticism came from U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican who represents the 7th District in middle and west Tennessee.

She cited a Washington Post report published online on Tuesday that said government investigators had warned of lax security at the site in classified reports nearly two years ago. Among the issues identified then were security cameras that didn’t operate, sloppy equipment maintenance, and poorly trained guards, the Post reported.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 Security Breach Tagged With: , , , , , , ,