ASME
International Capitol Update
June 13, 2001
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![]() Doe to Seek Public Comment on
Energy Efficiency, Renewables Policy
-- Public hearings
to begin on June 12
![]() Science Education Legislation Advances
on Capitol Hill
-- ASME group
endorses National Mathematics and
Science Education
Act
![]() EPA Announces Final Public
Health and Environmental
Standards for Yucca Mountain
-- Standards are the
world's first to address long-term storage and disposal of radioactive waste from
the nation's commercial nuclear power plants
![]() House Appropriations
Committee Releases FY 2002 Subcommittee Allocations
-- 302(b) funding
allocations to guide appropriations for FY 2002 budget
bills
![]() NIST Issues New Advanced
Technology Program (ATP) Proposal Preparation Kit
-- Provides guidelines
for developing an ATP proposal during FY 2001
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DOE TO SEEK PUBLIC COMMENT ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY,
RENEWABLES POLICY
The U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) will commence a series of seven public hearings
later this month to receive public comment on the renewable and energy efficiency aspects of the
President's National Energy Policy. In announcing the upcoming hearings,
DOE Secretary Spencer Abraham stated that, "Energy efficiency and the development of renewable energy
resources are critical elements of the President's National Energy Policy.
The public's input at these meetings will help us identify opportunities
for future research and
investment while assessing our past effectiveness in these areas."
In recent
appropriations hearings on the DOE FY 2002 budget request, several Members
of Congress have criticized the Administration's proposal to cut
components of the renewable energy and energy efficiency programs in
amounts ranging from 20 to more than 50 percent. In fact, the House
Interior Appropriations Subcommittee has unanimously passed a bill to
increase FY 2002 funding for energy research and conservation above the amounts
requested by the President (http://www.house.gov/appropriations/news/2002/pr02intsub.htm).
A list of the
meeting dates and locations may
be viewed at http://www.energy.gov/HWPress/releases01/junpr/pr01092.htm.
For additional information on the President's National Energy Policy or on
energy issues in general, contact Francis Dietz at 202.785.3756 or dietzf@asme.org.
SCIENCE EDUCATION LEGISLATION ADVANCES
ON CAPITOL HILL
The House
Science Subcommittee on Research
recently adopted two bills aimed at improving science and math education in elementary and secondary schools. Both H.R. 1858,
the National Mathematics and
Science Partnership Act, and H.R. 100, the National Science Education Act, were passed by
voice vote. H.R. 1858 would authorize Mathematics and Science Partnerships, create new scholarships
to attract top college junior and
senior math and science majors into teaching, and establish four new university
centers for research into teaching and learning.
H.R. 100
would establish a grant program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to provide
funds to universities to train master teachers to work in K-9 classrooms.
House Science Chairman Sherwood
Boehlert (R-NY) hailed the Subcommittee's action, saying "This legislation
is an important first step to improving the state of science and math education and ensuring that his country remains
superior in science and technology for years to come." Both
bills are scheduled to come before the full House Science Committee this week. For
additional information, refer to the press release at http://www.house.gov/science/press/107pr/107-36.htm.
ASME's Board
on Pre-College Education has endorsed H.R. 1858. In a letter to Chairman
Boehlert, Board Vice President Willard Nott noted "the bill will create a
number of valuable programs at the National Science Foundation which are consistent
with ASME's pre-college science,
math, engineering and technology (SMET) education
policy." A copy of that letter may be viewed at http://www.asme.org/gric/ps/2001/01-25.html.
In a related
development, the U.S. Senate adopted an amendment offered by Senator Pat
Roberts (R-KS) to add "engineering departments" as eligible partners in the Math and Science Partnership (MSP) section of S. 1, the
Elementary and Secondary
Education Act.
For
additional information on any of the bills cited above, or on K-12
education issues in general, contact Patti Burgio at 202.785.3756 or burgiop@asme.org.
EPA ANNOUNCES FINAL PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS FOR YUCCA
MOUNTAIN
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced final public
health and environmental
protection standards for Yucca Mountain, the proposed repository for spent
fuel from the nation's commercial nuclear power plants. The final
standards address all potential sources of radiation exposure from
groundwater, air and soil at a
dose limit of no more than 15 million per year from all pathways. Because
the proposed repository would sit above an aquifer that is used for
irrigation, farming and drinking
water, EPA also issued a separate groundwater standard that is, on
average, 15 times more stringent that the all pathways standard.
However,
before the site can open and
accept radioactive waste, the Secretary of Energy must recommend, and the President must approve, Yucca
Mountain as a safe repository for nuclear waste. In addition, the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) must determine that the DOE can meet
EPA's standards and other
licensing requirements. At this point in time, it appears that the
earliest date the Yucca Mountain repository could be licensed and approved to accept radioactive
waste is 2010. Until that time, both DOE and NRC will continue to provide the
public with the opportunity to comment.
Additional
information on EPA's final public health and environmental protection standards
for Yucca Mountain may be found at http://www.asme.org/gric/Update/2001/www.epa.gov/radiation/yucca.
HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE RELEASES FY
2002 SUBCOMMITTEE ALLOCATIONS
House
Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young (R-FL) released funding
allocations, called "302b allocations", for the 13 appropriations
subcommittees earlier this month. The 302b allocations are the mechanisms
by which monies provided in the Budget Resolution are distributed among
the Appropriations Subcommittees. Appropriators use 302b allocations as
guidelines when preparing appropriations bills for the coming Fiscal Year.
Chairman Young's press release may be viewed at http://www.house.gov/appropriations/news/2002/pr02302b.htm.
A spreadsheet detailing the 302b allocation for each House Appropriations
subcommittee may be viewed by clicking on the link in the first paragraph.
The Senate
Appropriations Committee had issued its 302b allocations in early May. A
specific breakdown of those allocations may be viewed at http://www.senate.gov/~appropriations/releases/press.htm.
Both the
House and Senate allocations
closely track the President's budget request with some key differences.
For instance, the House allocation for the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) Subcommittee,
which contains funding for the National Institutes of Health, is $4.076
billion greater than what the President had requested. The House Energy
and Water Subcommittee would
receive $1.187 billion more than the requested amount. The Senate's 302b
allocation would also exceed the President's budget request for Labor-HHS,
but only by $3.3318 billion. However, the Defense allocation would be
$2.394 billion less than the President's requested amount.
Subcommittee
allocations may be adjusted throughout the appropriations process and only serve as guidelines for
appropriators to take into consideration.
NIST ISSUES NEW ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
(ATP) PROPOSAL PREPARATION KIT
The National
Institutes of Standards and
Technology (NIST) has recently published an updated version of the ATP
Proposal Preparation Kit. The revised Kit, which includes guidelines for
developing an ATP proposal during FY 2001, has been streamlined and reduced by more than 50 percent.
One major change is the proposal submission requirement which provides for
a multiple stage and sequential
review process. This multiple stage process has been instituted to reduce
the amount of information required at one time. Required information may
be submitted at different stages as determinations are made that a
proposal has high merit based on the established selection criteria.
For more
information about the Kit, refer to http://www.atp.nist.gov/. A copy of
the Kit may be obtained by calling 1.800.287.3863.
For additional information, contact the
Government Relations Department at the ASME Washington Center at mailto:%20grdept@asme.org or (202)
785-3756.
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