No Go: House Appropriators Reject FY 2012 DOE Funding Request for Pu-238 Production
No Go: House Appropriators Reject FY 2012 DOE Funding Request for Pu-238 Production
For the third year in a row, appropriators have rejected an Administration request for Department of Energy funding to restart the production of Pu-238. With this action, the future of NASA’s deep space probes program remains highly uncertain.
Both the Bush and Obama Administrations have sent budget requests to Congress proposing that the Department of Energy and NASA split the cost of Pu-238 production. Pu-238 is used to fuel deep space probes, and its availability is almost exhausted as the U.S. stockpile dwindles and with the Russian announcement that it will no longer sell this isotope.
For FY 2012, the Obama Administration requested $20 million for a restart program, evenly divided between NASA and the Department of Energy. A DOE budget document explains:
“The Radiological Facilities Management program ($64.9 million) maintains important DOE nuclear technology facilities in a safe, secure, environmentally compliant and cost-effective manner. This includes $10 million, as part of a 50/50 cost share project with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reestablishing domestic capability to produce Plutonium (Pu)-238 for use in radioisotope power systems for NASA missions and national security applications. NASA uses Pu-238-based power systems where other power sources, such as batteries, fuel cells, and solar technologies, are not economical or technologically viable.”
“Restart of Pu-238 production is of critical importance to the development of planetary science missions. There is no viable alternative way to power deep space missions, as solar panels cannot produce enough electricity far from the Sun. If Pu-238 production starts immediately, there will still be a 5-year delay to have enough Pu-238 for a spacecraft. Full scale Pu-238 production is unlikely until 2018, which is too late to meet all of NASA’s needs. The delay will push back the 12 proposed planetary space missions that require Pu-238. The delay could cause missions to reach prohibitively high costs, which in turn could bring about job losses, diminish the United States leadership role in planetary science, and prevent us from expanding human knowledge of the universe. Given the magnitude of the funds necessary to regain our production capability, I strongly urge you to fund this request fully at the President’s requested level.”
“Plutonium–238 Production Restart Project.—The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) uses the vast majority of plutonium–238 (Pu–238) produced or procured by the federal government. The Committee remains concerned that the Administration continues to request equal funding from NASA and the Department of Energy for a project that primarily benefits NASA. The Committee provides no funds for this project, and encourages the Administration to devise a plan for this project that more closely aligns the costs paid by federal agencies with the benefits they receive.”
Opposing the amendment were the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee’s top Republican and Democratic members. Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) argued that by directing this $10 million, funding would be reduced for other nuclear energy research programs such as advanced reactor concepts, fuel cycle development, and small modular reactors. “The vast majority of this material would be used by NASA for in-space power supplies and only a small fraction used by the Department of Energy,” he said. Frelinghuysen charged that the Administration had not addressed or acknowledged the appropriators’ previous stated concerns, calling the FY 2012 request a “funding scheme” that “simply doesn’t make sense.” He called for the development of a more equitable plan. Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-IN) “reluctantly” opposed Schiff’s amendment, remarking “I believe the chair [Frelinghuysen] has stated the proposition correctly.”
Rising in support of the Schiff amendment was Rep. Chaka Fattah (PA), the Ranking Democrat on the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee (which has jurisdiction over NASA funding.) He called opposition to the amendment “unnecessarily adversarial to the general interests of the nation,” and stressed that the funding request should not be viewed as a battle between the Administration and Congress. Looking ahead, Fattah spoke of working to find a way to provide the necessary funding “between now and the [House] floor [vote].”
Having the last word, Schiff told his colleagues that no one would argue that deep space exploration should not be supported, telling them “this has got to get done.” He urged appropriators not to quibble about what agency would provide the necessary funding. Addressing DOE’s role and its budget request, Schiff said “Why is that? It is because DOE has always done this. They have the infrastructure to do it.”
A voice vote was called. While there were many voting “aye,” there were more voting “no” and the amendment failed.
Attention now turns to the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee. Chairman Frank Wolf (R-VA), Ranking Member Fattah, and their colleagues will mark up their bill on July 7. The subcommittee will have $50,237 million to spend on the measure.
