Download or read book Department of Defense Authorization for Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1997 and the Future Years Defense Program, Vol. 7 written by and published by . This book was released on 2015-08-05 with total page 510 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Department of Defense Authorization for Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1997 and the Future Years Defense Program, Vol. 7: Hearings Before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, One Hundred Fourth Congress, Second Session That is another reason why this subcommittee will hear from a second panel of contractor officials from major EM sites. We want to get the views and the suggestions of the folks that are on the ground across the country who are trying to address the cleanup and waste management challenges facing the Department of Energy. We must make this effort to better deal with the oversight of the EM program, especially if we want to justify this large expenditure of funds to the American taxpayer. Secretary Grumbly, as you know, I also have a special interest in the Department's efforts to fulfill its commitments to the State of Idaho regarding cleanup activities and the eventual shipment of all spent nuclear fuel and transuranic waste out of the State by the year 2035. This is a landmark agreement that will challenge Doe to open a new chapter in meeting its commitments and delivering real results. This agreement will also require substantial funding, and I look forward to discussing these requirements with you. The subcommittee will also hear from Mr. John Conway, Chairman of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. The board has a proven record of addressing real problems in a factual, scientific way. We want to hear his assessment of how Doe has done since last year and what the board believes are deficiencies in DOE's safety performance and compliance with board recommendations. We want to know what needs to be done to fix such deficiencies. At the same time. Secretary O'Leary and the recent DOE advisory committee has recommended adding a layer of external regulations on DOE nuclear activities. It is not clear to this subcommittee that this recommendation was subscribed to by the majority of the members of that Doe advisory committee, nor is it clear that DOE, in the advisory committee report, has made a case for external regulation which can stand on its own merits. Frankly, the Secretary's 60-day task force to develop a plan for moving DOE nuclear weapons and cleanup activities without Department of Defense or congressional involvement appears to be somewhat of a rush to judgment. Because Mr. Grumbly is in charge of this Doe task force, I am sure that he will fill us in on its purpose and its status. In any case, the subcommittee expects to be a major player in this debate. The subcommittee also wants to hear about the expected costs and benefits of this proposal, and alternatives. The subcommittee would also like to hear Mr. Conway's views regarding whether there are benefits to additional regulation, whether he thinks there is an alternate approach to cost-effectively enhancing nuclear safety, and what role the board may play in this effort. In short, we have a lot of issues to discuss at this hearing today, so based on the magnitude of these issues, I think it is very opportune for us to roll up our sleeves and have a good session. With that, I want to turn now to the distinguished Ranking Member of this subcommittee and truly a great friend of mine, Senator Jim Exon of Nebraska. Senator Exon. Mr. Chairman, thank you so very much for your excellent opening statement and the comments that you just made. It is true that I have been involved in these matters for a long, long time. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com