[NukeNet] Some of the DOE nuclear weapons budget numbers for the coming year

[Marylia Kelley]

Hi, Alan --

I can't say how much the local tax base in Ann Arobor contributes to DOE
nuclear weapons. But, you can deduce generally from the budget. I'll start
with the Nuclear Weapons Activities budget line, which includes nuclear
weapons research, development, testing, manufacture, and maintenance.

The Nuclear Weapons Activities budget line does not include most of the the
cleanup of past nuclear weapons activity. And, even the overall NNSA budget
does not include cleanup that is occuring at DOE sites not currently listed
as NNSA sites. So, the big ticket cleanup items like Rocky Flats, Hanford,
Fernald, Paducah, Portsmouth, etc. are not included in this first number I
will give you (below).

So, then, I will give you an additional number that is the DOE "cleanup"
number. That does include cleanup at the nuclear weapons production sites.

The budget request for fiscal year 2008 (which is currently before Congress
and will be voted on this year) for nuclear weapons activities is (in round
numbers) $6.5 billion

The overall NNSA budget is $9.4 billion (this inlcudes more items than the
nuclear weapons activities listed above). Note that the overall NNSA budget
does include some things that are directly nuclear weapons R&D related,
such as the NNSA "site offices" money to manage nuclear weapons activities.
This money is absent from the Nuclear Weapons Activities budget line listed
above.

So, use your own judgement as to which ov the above numbers you want to
use. Just make sure to identify them correctly.

The budget reaquest for fiscal year 2008 for cleanup is $5.7.

The budget allocations for the past year are very similar to the request
for the coming year. I focus on the coming year because that is what people
can influence!

Also, note, these are the from specific DOE budgets -- that means other DOE
activities and all DoD activities with nuclear weapons are "extra".

There are lots of ways one can "cut" the budget pie in making comparisons.
My thought is simply to properly identify what you are and are not
including in your calculations.

Peace,
Marylia

>great work, thank you.
>
>do you have a dollar figure representing the total commitment to
>nuclear weapons, for this or a recent year.  research, deployment,
>storage, replacement, protecting, waste disposal,  etc?    the question
>is how much ann arbor tax money goes to fund the nuclear weapons
>commitment.
>population about 110,000.
>
>best wishes
>
>alan haber
>
>

Marylia Kelley,
Executive Director

Tri-Valley CAREs
2582 Old First Street
Livermore, CA  94551

Ph: (925) 443-7148
Fx: (925) 443-0177
Web: www.trivalleycares.org
Email: marylia at trivalleycares.org or marylia at earthlink.net