Defense Cleanup and Environmental Programs: Authorization and Appropriations for FY2005


 

Publication Date: December 2004

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Environment

Type:

Abstract:

The Department of Defense (DOD) administers five environmental programs: environmental cleanup, compliance, pollution prevention, environmental technology, and conservation. The Department of Energy (DOE) manages defense nuclear waste and cleans up contaminated nuclear weapons sites. In the second session of the 108th Congress, the most controversial issues regarding these activities were whether to provide further exemptions for military readiness activities from certain air quality and hazardous waste cleanup requirements, and whether to provide DOE with the authority to classify certain radioactive tank wastes at nuclear weapons sites in Idaho, South Carolina, and Washington in a manner that would permit these wastes to be permanently disposed of on-site in those states.

The Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for FY2005 (P.L. 108-375, H.R. 4200) authorizes $1.35 billion for cleanup at active military installations and Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS), $40 million more than requested. The increase is for cleanup at FUDS sites. The law authorizes the Administration's request of $246 million in new funds for environmental cleanup at base closure sites. Total funding for cleanup at these sites would be $322 million, including the use of unobligated balances and proceeds from land sales and leases from base closures. Funding for DOD's other environmental activities is authorized under several larger accounts. The law also authorizes $6.96 billion for DOE's cleanup of nuclear weapons sites, slightly more than requested, and provides targeted authority for permanent on-site disposal of radioactive tank wastes in Idaho and South Carolina. The law does not include the environmental exemptions from air quality and hazardous waste cleanup requirements that DOD requested.

In addition to defense authorization legislation, the 108th Congress completed action on the two FY2005 appropriations bills that fund cleanup and other environmental activities administered by DOD. The Department of Defense Appropriations Act for FY2005 (P.L. 108-287, H.R. 4613) provides $1.36 billion for cleanup at active military installations and FUDS sites, $10 million more than authorized and $50 million more than requested. The increase is devoted to cleanup at FUDS sites. As in authorization legislation, funding for DOD's other environmental activities is not specified but is provided under several larger accounts. The Military Construction Appropriations Act for FY2005 (P.L. 108-324, H.R. 4837) provides $246 million in new funds for cleanup at base closure sites, the same as authorized and requested.

Action was also completed on FY2005 appropriations for DOE's cleanup of former nuclear weapons sites. The Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2005 (P.L. 108-447, H.R. 4818) provides $7.03 billion for this activity, subject to an across-the-board rescission of 0.8%, an increase relative to FY2004 and the Administration's request. Of this amount, $292 million is allocated to the disposal of radioactive tank wastes. This report will be updated to reflect DOD allocations of FY2005 funding for environmental activities for which amounts were not specified in bill or report language, but were provided as part of larger accounts.