The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Democrats

Text only of letters sent from the Committee on Energy and Commerce Democrats.

November 20, 2001

The Honorable Spencer Abraham
Secretary
Department of Energy
Forrestal Building
1000 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20585

Dear Secretary Abraham:

I would appreciate your answers to several questions concerning the attached draft legislation. This draft would significantly increase the current authorization level for reimbursement to a private party of monies for cleanup costs for thorium contamination in West Chicago, Illinois.

Title X of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 originally authorized a total of $310 million for a combined thorium and uranium cleanup program. Congress has raised the authorization level for the cost of cleaning up the thorium site, originally set at $40 million, on two occasions. The most recent increase (in 1998) established a limit of $140 million for Federal costs. The attached draft proposes increasing by $225 million, for a new total thorium cleanup authorization of $365 million. The draft also would increase the combined authorization for thorium and uranium site cleanup by $225 million for a total of $715 million for these Title X programs.

It is my understanding that this legislation may soon be brought before the Committee on Energy and Commerce in an effort to expedite its consideration in the House before the end of the current session of Congress. In order to help the Committee understand the potential impact of this proposal, I would appreciate your response to the attached questions no later than Tuesday, November 27, 2001.

With every good wish.

Sincerely,

JOHN D. DINGELL
RANKING MEMBER

QUESTIONS ON DRAFT LEGISLATION

(a) Does the Department support this draft legislation?
(b) If cleanup costs have increased, does the Department believe the Federal Government should share in these costs?
(a) In its FY 2002 budget request, did the Administration request funds for thorium cleanup programs under Title X of the Energy Policy Act of 1992?
(b) Please provide the reasoning behind the budget request.
What effect, if any, would enactment of this draft legislation, and subsequent funding at the authorized level, have on the cleanup of uranium sites covered by Title X of the Energy Policy Act of 1992?
What effect, if any, would funding at the proposed authorized level have on other Department of Energy programs?
Please provide the status report of the costs associated with the West Chicago, Illinois, thorium cleanup effort, including any audits of costs submitted for Federal reimbursement. What is the Department’s current estimate of the total remaining Federal share?

Prepared by the Committee on Energy and Commerce
2125 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515