From: rsherme@diamond.nswc.navy.mil (Russel Shermer (R43))
Newsgroups: sci.research
Subject: fyi #111: SACR: Nuclear Physics
Date: 17 Aug 92 14:15:49 GMT
Organization: NAVSWC DD White Oak Det.

Posted for:
Public Information Division
American Institute of Physics
Contact:  Audrey T. Leath
Phone: (202) 332-9662
Email: fyi@aip.org

Senate Appropriations Committee Report: Nuclear Physics

FYI No. 111, August 13, 1992

Accompanying all appropriations bills is a report written by
committee staff providing the committee's recommendations on how
agencies should spend the money which is appropriated to them.
Although these reports are not binding, federal agencies are
usually quite reluctant to implement policies contrary to those of
the committee which has jurisdiction over their budget.  Both the
House and Senate Appropriations Committees write reports, with a
final "conference report" issued to accompany the final bill.

Below are selected portions of Senate Report 102-344, accompanying
H.R. 5373, the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act for
fiscal year 1993, as it pertains to nuclear physics.  The House
Appropriations Committee has also released its energy and water
development report; see FYI #84 for information on nuclear physics.

Nuclear Physics:

Current funding:                   $354,390,000
Administration request for FY 93:   363,500,000
House bill:                         363,500,000
Senate bill:                        309,100,000

"The reduction to this appropriation takes into account the plans
to cease operations at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility
[LAMPF].  The Committee strongly disagrees with any plans to cease
operations as this would clearly force closure of all facilities
dependent upon LAMPF beams.  We believe that premature termination
of the LAMPF beams would be a serious mistake.  This aggregation of
experimental facilities offers a wealth of scientific activities
and technological exploration well into the future.  It will
provide increasingly valuable benefits to the educational,
technology transfer, health, and environmental sectors.  A recent
assessment found that "*** LAMPF's capabilities cover a remarkable
spectrum *** of problems in national defense and energy.  At this
time, our country is dealing with unforeseen changes, an uncertain
future, and questions of national commitment.  For these reasons,
the unique capabilities and potential of LAMPF as a broad
scientific and technological facility are needed more than ever.
This is particularly true because of the pivotal role LAMPF plays
within the structure of the Los Alamos National Laboratory."  The
assessment concluded that "*** it would be a most serious mistake
for the country to weaken the remarkable and unique large-scale
capabilities at Los Alamos that have been carefully and
systematically nurtured over the past 50 years.  The expertise,
excellence, and scientific culture that have been developed are
major national resources for our country as it addresses many of
the technological problems of the 21st century.  LAMPF, as a basic
research facility, with a uniquely broad interface with scientific,
educational, and engineering communities is a central component of
this capability.  It cannot be allowed to wither and die."  The
Committee agrees.  And, in the light of the central role LAMPF
plays in the research and development agenda at Los Alamos, the
Committee has provided funds for all its operations under the
atomic energy defense appropriation.

"The Committee's recommendation includes $33,000,000, the budget
request, for continued construction of the continuous electron beam
accelerator facility [CEBAF] and $71,400,000 to continue
construction of the relativistic heavy ion collider [RHIC]."


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Public Information Division
American Institute of Physics
Contact:  Audrey T. Leath
(202) 332-9662
##END##########
Newsgroups: sci.environment