14.AP 6/1: EN 2/2/999/PT.6 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1999 HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS NOTE: Under Committee Rules, Mr. Livingston, as Chairman of the Full Committee, and Mr. Obey, as Ranking Minority Member of the Full Committee, are authorized to sit as Members of all Subcommittees. JAMES D. OGSBURY, JEANNE L. WILSON, and DONALD M. MCKINNON, ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1999 HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS ED PASTOR, Arizona RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN, New Jersey CHET EDWARDS, Texas JOE KNOLLENBERG, Michigan MIKE PARKER, Mississippi SONNY CALLAHAN, Alabama JAY DICKEY, Arkansas NOTE: Under Committee Rules, Mr. Livingston, as Chairman of the Full Committee, and Mr. Obey, as Ranking JAMES D. OGSBURY, JEANNE L. WILSON, and DONALD M. MCKINNON, For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402 Page 1 330 351 691 1010 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS BOB LIVINGSTON, Louisiana, Chairman JOSEPH M. MCDADE, Pennsylvania JOHN EDWARD PORTER, Illinois RON PACKARD, California CHARLES H. TAYLOR, North Carolina ERNEST J. ISTOOK, JR., Oklahoma JOE KNOLLENBERG, Michigan JAY DICKEY, Arkansas JACK KINGSTON, Georgia MIKE PARKER, Mississippi RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN, New Jersey ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi MICHAEL P. FORBES, New York GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, JR., Washington MARK W. NEUMANN, Wisconsin RANDY "DUKE" CUNNINGHAM, California TODD TIAHRT, Kansas ZACH WAMP, Tennessee TOM LATHAM, Iowa DAVID R. OBEY, Wisconsin JOHN P. MURTHA, Pennsylvania W. G. (BILL) HEFNER, North Carolina ALAN B. MOLLOHAN, West Virginia DAVID E. SKAGGS, Colorado NANCY PELOSI, California ESTEBAN EDWARD TORRES, California JAMES P. MORAN, Virginia JOHN W. OLVER, Massachusetts CARRIE P. MEEK, Florida DAVID E. PRICE, North Carolina CHET EDWARDS, Texas ROBERT E. (BUD) CRAMER, JR., Alabama ANNE M. NORTHUP, Kentucky ROBERT B. ADERHOLT, Alabama JAMES W. DYER, Clerk and Staff Director ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1999 THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1998. NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSAL WITNESSES JAMES M. OWENDOFF, ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT LAKE H. BARRETT, ACTING DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF CIVILIAN RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT HOWARD R. CANTER, ACTING DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF FISSILE MATERIALS DISPOSITION OPENING REMARKS Mr. McDADE. The committee will come to order. We are privileged to have three very distinguished witnesses with us today who perhaps have the most difficult job in government, and we appreciate all of your attention to it and your bringing your expertise to bear on it. It is a real tough one for you. Mr. Owendoff, I want to say something to you, if I may, please. We have been getting testimony up here for a long time, and we have had an opportunity to examine your prepared statement. We think it is absolutely highly, professionally done, very articulate, very pointed, very helpful. And even before you give it, I want to compliment you because we have had a chance to review it. We will now recognize you, and you may proceed in your own way, if you want to file your statement and proceed, whatever is comfortable for you. You are recognized, Mr. Owendoff. FY 1999 OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT BUDGET REQUEST Mr. OWENDOFF. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate that. I would certainly like to say that it is only by having a good staff that I am able to have those prepared statements, so I would like to recognize the good staff supporting us. Mr. McDADE. It always takes a team and a team leader, too. ORAL STATEMENT OF JAMES M. OWENDOFF Mr. OWENDOFF. It is a pleasure to be here, and I appreciate this opportunity to appear before you to discuss the Department of Energy's Environmental Management Program and its fiscal year 1999 budget request. Our request for fiscal year 1999 reflects a roughly level budget from last year, with a substantial investment for privatizing cer (1) |