Status of Energy and Water Appropriations,FY2002

	Overview

The Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act 2002, P.L. 107-66 , includes funding for civil worksprojects of the Army Corps of Engineers, theDepartment of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), most of the Department of Energy (DOE), and a numberof independent agencies, including theNuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The Administrationrequested $22.5 billion for these programs forFY2002, compared with $23.6 billion appropriated for FY2001. The House bill contained $23.7 billion and theSenate bill $25.0 billion. (Funding of DOE's programs for fossil fuels, energy efficiency, and energystatistics is included in the Interior andRelated Agencies appropriations bill, H.R. Missouri River Water Flows. Title III: Department of Energy

The Energy and Water Development bill includes funding for most of DOE's programs. Major DOE activitiesin the bill include research and development onrenewable energy and nuclear power, general science, environmental cleanup, and nuclear weapons programs. The final bill, P. L. 107-63, appropriated $1.77 billion for these programs. Key Policy Issues -- Department of Energy

Funding to Combat Terrorism. Renewable Energy. Science. The Senate approved a $10 million increase over the request for this initiative. On November 28 the Housepassed H.R. Environmental Management. In response to such criticism, Senator Reid added a Sense of the Senate resolution to the Energyand Water Appropriations bill that urgedSenate conferees to "ensure that the levels of funding included in the Senate bill for the Yucca Mountain programare increased to an amount closer to thatincluded in the House-passed version. . . ."
Even with the funding increase sought by the Bush Administration, the next several program milestones would have been pushed back, according to the budgetrequest. Civilian Nuclear Waste Disposal. Civilian Nuclear Spent Fuel Temporary Storage Options. South Florida Ecosystem Restoration and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.
The Energy and Water Development appropriations bill includes funding for civil works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Interior'sBureau of Reclamation (BOR), most of the Department of Energy (DOE), and a number of independent agencies. The Bush Administration requested $22.5billion for these programs for FY2002 compared with $23.6 billion appropriated in FY2001. The House bill,( H.R. 2311 ), passed on June 28, 2001,allocated $23.7 billion for these programs. The Senate approved its version of the bill July 19, 2001, with $25.0billion. The final bill appropriating $25.086billion was approved by both houses on November 1, 2001 and enacted on November 12, 2001 as P.L. 107-66 .
Key issues involving Energy and Water Development appropriations programs included:
authorization of appropriations for major water/ecosystem restoration initiatives for the Florida Everglades and California"Bay-Delta";
general provisions concerning operation of federal water projects on the Missouri River;
proposed reductions in spending for solar and renewable energy;
the electrometallurgical treatment of nuclear spent fuel for storage and disposal, a process that opponents contend raises nuclear proliferationconcerns;
cost and management of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in DOE's Nuclear Weapons Stewardship program;
restricted funding of physical sciences research in DOE contrasted with major increases in life sciences research in the National Institutes ofHealth; and
proposed higher funding for DOE's civilian nuclear waste management program as the Department nears a decision on building a wasterepository under Nevada's Yucca Mountain.
Key Policy Staff
Division abbreviations: RSI = Resources, Science, and Industry; FDT= Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade.