Oak Ridge Today

Feinstein: President’s budget request could lead to 1,600 layoffs at ORNL

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Sign

Photo by ORNL

 

Note: This story was updated at 12:20 p.m. June 28.

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein on Wednesday said the president’s budget request for the next fiscal year could lead to a 33 percent workforce reduction at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. About 1,600 of the lab’s roughly 4,800 employees could be laid off, the senator’s office said.

Feinstein, a Democrat from California, and other members of the Senate Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, including Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, a Republican who is chair of the subcommittee, had a budget hearing with new Energy Secretary Rick Perry on Wednesday afternoon, June 21.

Across the U.S. Department of Energy, a workforce of 29,000 employees could be reduced by 23 percent at labs such as ORNL that are managed for DOE and not for the National Nuclear Security Administration, Feinstein said. (The NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within DOE.) That would be a reduction of 6,700 employees at the non-NNSA, non-weapons labs, the senator said.

“Every non-NNSA lab would see drastic employment cuts under this proposed budget,” said Feinstein, the ranking Democratic member of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee. “We must change this budget.”

The potential layoffs at DOE labs would be the result of a budget request submitted by President Donald Trump to Congress on Tuesday, May 23. But the president’s budget request has not yet been approved by Congress, and it has run into bipartisan opposition. Some legislators have declared the budget request “dead on arrival,” and others have said they won’t even review some proposed cuts such as a 30 percent funding reduction for the State Department. [Read more…]

Funding for ORNL could be cut $185 million under president’s budget

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Sign

Photo by ORNL

 

Funding for Oak Ridge National Laboratory could be cut by $185 million under the budget request released by President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

If Trump’s budget request is enacted, the lab’s funding would drop from about $1.247 billion in Fiscal Year 2017, which ends September 30, to roughly $1.062 billion in Fiscal Year 2018. That would be a decrease of roughly 15 percent.

The reduction would be even greater when compared to the $1.27 billion allocated to ORNL in Fiscal Year 2016, according to preliminary laboratory tables posted by the U.S. Department of Energy. In that case, it would be about a $206 million decrease over two years.

But it’s not clear that the president’s budget request will pass or even be considered in Congress. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, including Senator John Cornyn, the second-ranking Republican in the GOP-controlled Senate, have declared the Fiscal Year 2018 presidential budget request that was released Tuesday “dead on arrival,” according to NBC News. Lawmakers have said that the cuts are too steep and the accounting is too unrealistic, the network reported.

Under the president’s budget request, overall spending for DOE would drop by $1.6 billion from $29.6 billion in Fiscal Year 2016 to $28 billion in Fiscal Year 2018.

Funding for DOE’s Office of Science would decrease to $4.5 billion, or $874 million below the Fiscal Year 2016 level. ORNL is an Office of Science lab. [Read more…]

Letter: Suggests Oak Ridgers consider electing another woman, a Democrat, to Congress

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To the Editor:

During the years 1974-1994, a woman, who was a Democrat, represented Oak Ridge and the Tennessee Third Congressional District. Her name was Marilyn Lloyd.

She wrote several bills, including the Energy Research Development Administration Bill (1976 and 1977) and the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. During her tenure, she was chair of the Subcommittee on Energy Research and Development and was on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. She was on the Public Works Committee and and the Armed Services Committee.

ORNL and associated contractors did well while she was in Congress.

I would like to suggest that Oak Ridgers who have not yet voted consider electing another woman, who is a Democrat: Melody Shekari, who has been endorsed by the Chattanooga Times-Free Press. [Read more…]

Grace Veterans’ Ministry joins Vet to Vet TN to identify, honor Vietnam Era Veterans

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The Grace Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge’s Veterans’ Ministry has partnered with Vet to Vet Tennessee to assist in identifying Vietnam Era veterans, spouses of those veterans no longer living but not killed in action, civilians who served the United States during the Vietnam War, or those who served in the military from November 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975. Spouses whose husbands were killed or missing in action are also included in that number.

“Grace would like to honor those in Oak Ridge and surrounding areas who are eligible at a service of reconciliation and healing, where Vet to Vet Tennessee Vietnam veterans will present them with a special service pin or spouse pin and a proclamation from the president of the United States,” a press release said.

The effort is part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemoration, which was authorized by Congress and launched by the President in May 2012. The goal is to thank Vietnam Veterans for their service and to welcome them home, the press release said. [Read more…]

Budgeting for a clean future in Oak Ridge

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Karen Thompson, OREM’s branch chief for Planning and Baseline Management Branch, spoke to the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board at its March 9, 2016, meeting on developing the FY 2018 budget. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board)

 

By Ashley Huff

Developing a budget for the massive cleanup efforts undertaken by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM, requires advanced planning and careful prioritization of the program’s near-term and long-term goals. DOE’s vision for a clean future largely depends upon funding designated for the Oak Ridge site by Congress each fiscal year.

Appropriations for Oak Ridge cleanup comprise only a part of the overall budget for DOE’s EM Program, which includes a number of additional sites also dealing with the lingering inheritances of the Manhattan Project. The Oak Ridge site has traditionally fared well both in the president’s request and in the actual appropriations determined by Congress. OREM experienced a $36 million increase in its enacted budget for Fiscal Year 2014, meaning the site received $36 million above what the president even requested for the Oak Ridge cleanup mission. In FY 2015, the site received $46 million above the president’s request. For the current year, OREM welcomed a generous “plus-up” from Congress. Appropriations for FY 2016 were $102 million above President Obama’s request for the program.

“The additional funding of $102 million above the president’s request for FY 2016 has allowed OREM to accelerate progress on spending priorities already well established,” said Karen Thompson, OREM’s branch chief for Planning and Baseline Management Branch, who spoke to the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board at its March 9 meeting on developing the FY 2018 budget. [Read more…]

April meeting in DC will focus on high-risk DOE buildings that aren’t needed

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U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann

Chuck Fleischmann

A meeting in Washington, D.C., in April will focus on high-risk excess facilities at U.S. Department of Energy cleanup sites, possibly including Oak Ridge.

The discussion could include Alpha-5, a 530,000-square-foot, World War II-era building at the Y-12 National Security Complex. It could include other buildings in Oak Ridge as well.

The House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus, a bipartisan caucus co-chaired by U.S. representatives Chuck Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican, and Ben Lujan, a New Mexico Democrat, will participate in the event. U.S. Assistant Energy Secretary Monica Regalbuto will outline DOE’s plans for deteriorating buildings that are a risk to public health and safety, a press release said. [Read more…]

Baker Center: Roadway quality at risk unless new funding found

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Tennessee spends less on a per-capita basis than almost any other state on its highways and roads, yet enjoys roadways that are better than those in most states. But according to a new paper produced by researchers at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, roadway quality is now at risk unless new funding is found.

Fuel tax rates are among the lowest in the nation, yet Tennessee boasts a roadway network that has better pavement, better bridges, and less congestion than most comparable state systems. Concerns are mounting that these benefits are at risk because of a funding outlook that continues to deteriorate.

The state’s gasoline tax was last raised—from 16 to 20 cents per gallon—more than 25 years ago, in 1989.

Currently, the state’s gasoline tax of 21.4 cents a gallon (which includes a special petroleum products tax) ranks 12th lowest in the U.S., and Tennessee is one of only five states that are free of highway-related debt. Gasoline and diesel tax revenues not only support state roadways but are shared with cities and counties across the state. [Read more…]

Opinion: The national park lever, the opportunity of a lifetime

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By Leonard Abbatiello

November 20, 2015

We are all jubilant about the recent creation of the Manhattan Project National Park, but unfortunately there will be little done until it is funded. But this newly created national park offers an unprecedented opportunity for the three Energy Cities to unify and solve the single largest problem that birthed them. All of these cities (Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Hanford, Washington; and Los Alamos, New Mexico) are impacted by large tracts of federally owned property and the presence of ongoing U.S. Department of Energy operations. Let’s team to provide DOE with an internal mechanism to better service these DOE impacted communities!

Manhattan Project National Park: Our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

We have been handed a win-win-win opportunity of a lifetime! Congress has recently created an atomic history national park, which is to preserve and honor the atomic history in the three Energy Cities. The cities that created the atomic bomb and made nuclear energy available to the world!

The three energy communities are to each host a national park complex. But there is a fly in the ointment! The national park has been created without any funding to accomplish its objectives! Future federal budgets have zeroed out all funding for this national park complex. Without money, nothing will happen!

DOE is expected to provide all funding of these Manhattan Project National Park needs! This gives Oak Ridge the opportunity to create a unified “Energy Cities Team” team to encourage DOE to create a new “Division of Community Assistance,” which would oversee the dispersal of all community or public service project funding for: 1) the national park system, 2) community PILTs (payments in lieu of taxes), 3) AMSE (American Museum of Science and Energy) and recreational commitments (Carbide Park, etc.), and 4) community grants, etc.

It could all be funded by a small DOE “internal tax” on each and every science and production program that DOE supports in these cities. DOE is a $33 billion-plus annual operation, and it currently has no way of either funding or centrally managing the multitude of community assistance, national park, recreational/museum, self-sufficiency projects, and grants that it funds in all three of the energy communities. A small internal DOE “project tax” of less than one-half of 1 percent could easily fund all of the current and proposed DOE community/public efforts while a central DOE division would be charged with managing all of these community assistance/funding efforts efficiently. This would provide a single point of contact for the communities and allow DOE to efficiently manage all of these community/public assistance efforts.

The potential for Oak Ridge is enormous! But only if DOE begins to pay its fair share of operations! It might be possible to even greatly reduce or nearly eliminate property taxes. Additionally, if other major cost reductions were implemented, property taxes could be completely eliminated and Oak Ridges’ financial future assured! If existing land, coupled with better-than-competitive costs, were used to attract new major industrial businesses, our housing growth would blossom!

My wish is that we pursue this win-win-win opportunity that the unfunded Manhattan National Park creation now presents. We would need to “team” with the other Energy Cities, to engage both them and their congressional delegations. This could result in a joint effort resulting in a lobbying effort asking Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to create this interface point called the “DOE Division of Community Assistance,” which could handle all National Park funding, grants, community PILTS, etc. Then we would have a central point through which we might request review of the basis of our Oak Ridge PILT payments, the AMSE, and the Carbide Park, and other local assistance commitments. It helps everyone if we should be successful in creating a central management/financial organization.

This budget shortfall is an opportunity for us to make this a win-win-win for all!  It helps DOE, the Energy Cities, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Congress by helping DOE to create one central, efficient financial management system that provides a way for DOE to begin to pay its fair share. Everyone wins! Let’s help DOE solve their growing community problem as we help ourselves. This corrects the single greatest shortfall of the AECA of 1955, which gave birth to the City of Oak Ridge and our sister energy cities.

You, our seven City Council members, are the only individuals who can direct any effort to improve the financial future of Oak Ridge and our relationship with DOE. You have the opportunity to define a bright competitive future, or do nothing. Four of you can really make a difference! What is your choice?

Leonard Abbatiello is a former Oak Ridge City Council member.

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Note: The submitted letters and columns published in the Opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of Oak Ridge Today or its staff.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Manhattan Project Park: ‘Hanford’s Pioneers’ tour launches

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Sally-Jewell-Ernest-Moniz-Manhattan-Project-National-Historical-Park-Nov-10-2015-1

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz shortly after they signed a memorandum of agreement and created the 409th park in the National Park System, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The park was authorized by Congress in December 2014. The park will have three sites in Los Alamos, New Mexico; Hanford, Washington; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The ceremony took place at the South Interior Building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015. (NPS Photo by Anthony DeYoung)

 

By Atomic Heritage Foundation

The Atomic Heritage Foundation has launched an online program called “Hanford’s Pioneers,” where visitors can hear first-hand accounts of the people who lived on the Bruggemann ranch and other pre-war sites. This release is timely as the Manhattan Project National Historical Park was officially established last week, on Tuesday, November 10.

In a signing ceremony in Washington, D.C., Secretary of Energy Ernie Moniz and Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell made the park official. One of the original sponsors of the legislation, Senator Maria Cantwell, spoke of the importance of creating the park, which includes many pre-war sites.

Besides Hanford, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park also includes Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Los Alamos, New Mexico.

The “Hanford’s Pioneers” tour allows visitors to listen to stories from people who grew up in the towns of Hanford and White Bluffs and the Bruggemann farm, or lived in the Hanford construction camp. Visitors can choose from more than 30 short audio/visual vignettes. [Read more…]

ORNL to extend contract for uranium centrifuge work, but at reduced level; could require layoffs

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American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center

The American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center in south Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo courtesy USEC/Centrus Energy Corp.)

 

Oak Ridge National Laboratory intends to extend its contract with Centrus Energy Corporation for research on uranium enrichment centrifuges, but at a reduced level, with funding cut by about 60 percent, the company said Friday. Layoffs could be required, Centrus said in a press release.

The contract extension continues technology development activities at Oak Ridge facilities for advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges, but revenues won’t be used for operations in Piketon, Ohio, the press release said.

The new contract will cover a one-year period from October 1, 2015, to September 30, 2016, with the possibility for additional extensions, the release said.

It said the U.S. Department of Energy’s decision to provide reduced funding will support continued developments of the company’s American Centrifuge technology—which has long-term importance for national and energy security. [Read more…]

Corker column: Americans deserve to know where elected leaders stand on Iran deal

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U.S. Senator Bob Corker

Bob Corker

By Bob Corker

As I traveled across the Volunteer State during August, I spoke with many Tennesseans about the nuclear agreement between Iran, the United States, and other world powers. While opinions of the agreement vary, there is perhaps no greater geopolitical issue facing the world today than preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.

A strong agreement that would stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and stand the test of time was always the goal of these negotiations. That’s why when President Obama declared in 2012 that he would only accept a deal requiring Iran to “end their nuclear program,” there was hope that an agreement could win bipartisan support.

Since the administration reached an agreement in July, Congress has scrutinized it thoroughly to determine whether or not it achieves that goal.

In the coming days, the House of Representatives and Senate will debate and consider a resolution to disapprove of the administration’s Iran deal. And while we have known from the beginning that stopping a potential bad deal with Iran would be a heavy lift, many felt it was important for members of Congress—on behalf of those they represent—to carefully review and vote on any final agreement. [Read more…]

City officials meet with NPS, DOE, other communities to discuss Manhattan Project park

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Chuck Hope

Chuck Hope

A delegation from the City of Oak Ridge recently traveled to Los Alamos, New Mexico, to participate in a meeting with officials from the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of Energy, and from Los Alamos and the Hanford communities to discuss the newly designated Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The meeting was sponsored by the Energy Communities Alliance, or ECA, which supported attendance at the meeting with travel grants to the participants.

The three-day event, with more than 50 in attendance, began with a tour of the cultural resources and Manhattan Project era sites at Los Alamos National Laboratory. David Klaus, deputy under secretary of management and performance with DOE, was the keynote speaker. He emphasized the importance of preserving the history of the Manhattan Project, and pointed to the important scientific and technological advancements that originated from that era.

Victor Knox, associate director for park planning, facilities, and lands for the National Park Service, then briefed attendees on the status of a memorandum of agreement, or MOA, currently under development by DOE and NPS. The draft MOA, which has been released for public comment, will govern the respective roles of the secretary of interior and secretary of energy in administering the park and its facilities. Completion of the MOA is the first major milestone required by the enacting legislation, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama last December. [Read more…]