Interim RANSAC Report: Proposed Federal Budget Cuts for Nuclear Security Efforts in Russia
Interim RANSAC Report: Proposed Federal Budget Cuts for Nuclear Security Efforts in Russia
Based on authoritative budget documents, it is clear that the Department of Energy (DOE) programs are scheduled to be cut back significantly in key areas. Overall, the top-line budget request for DOE nuclear nonproliferation programs in FY2002 will be $801 million, or about $73 million below the FY2001 (current year) appropriated level of $874. This is an overall 8.4% reduction. When compared to the request from DOE to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during the last months of the Clinton administration, the cut is even more significant. The Clinton era OMB request for FY 2002 was rumored to be approximately $1.2 billion. If this information is accurate, then the cut from the projected Clinton budget is closer to 33%.
Authoritative information on the budget requests for the State Department is not available, though Colin Powell did testify that the nonproliferation programs in the State Department would be receiving an increase in the upcoming budget year. Information on the Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction program budget requests is also unavailable at this time, though there have been rumors of reductions.
Attached to this overview is a chart of the major FY 2002 DOE nuclear nonproliferation budget requests, which have not yet been released by the Bush administration.
Several programs that have been targeted for elimination or significant cuts include:
Nuclear Cities Initiative (NCI). This is the only U.S. government program specifically focused on decreasing Russian nuclear weapon production capability and creating alternative employment opportunities in Minatom's closed nuclear weapons cities. In FY 2001, $26.6 million is appropriated for the program. For FY2002, DOE had sought a request of $30 million. The new Bush budget requests only $6.6 million, a 75% reduction from the current year. This is the lowest level of funding ever proposed for this program and it will be extremely difficult to sustain this program at $6.6 million. Prior to this year, the program's lowest appropriation was $7.5 million in FY 2000. In particular, the budget eliminates a $10 million line item to facilitate closure of warhead production plants.
Material Protection, Control and Accounting (MPC&A). This is the primary U.S. program to improve the security of Russia's fissile material, accelerate consolidation of this material at fewer sites, and to work with the Russian Navy in the protection of its nuclear materials. In FY 2001, approximately $169 million is allocated to the MPC&A program. The program sought a request of approximately $226 million for FY2002. The Bush budget request will be $139 million - a $30 million (18%) cut from the current level. The major cuts come in the improvement of security at Mayak, which is a major fissile material storage facility, the part of the program designed to sustain the security improvements after they are installed, and the Russian Navy program.
Plutonium disposition activities in the United States and Russia. Under this program, 34 metric tons of plutonium is to be eliminated by both the U.S. and Russia. Last year, after a long delay, a U.S.-Russian agreement on this subject was signed. The budget for plutonium disposition in FY2001 was about $189 million. Approximately $450 million had been requested in the Clinton FY 2002 budget for overall fissile material disposition (roughly a $225 million increase from FY 2001), including approximately $45 million for activities to assist Russian plutonium disposal. However, the Bush administration request provides only $20 million for the Russian component (or about a $21 million reduction from the current funding level). While the FY 2002 Bush request does increase the fissile materials disposition budget overall, the amounts fall short of what is needed to move the program with Russia forward significantly and to convince Russia and other G-8 countries of the U.S. commitment to eliminate plutonium stocks.
Non-Proliferation Verification R&D. This is essentially national laboratory research money for verification technologies and not particularly of interest to the Russians, but it is still important. In FY2001 the appropriated level was $245 million. In the proposed Bush budget it is $208 million, a 15% cut.
New fissile material security programs. In FY 2001, funding was provided for several new DOE programs as part of a "Long-term Nonproliferation Program for Russia." The FY 2002 budget would eliminate funding for these new activities, including the following:
Creation of a Russian plutonium registry. The United States currently does not know the total Russian plutonium inventory. This program was a small effort to facilitate an accurate accounting. For FY 2001, $500,000 is provided to assist Russia in developing an unclassified database of its entire plutonium stockpile. In the Bush administration budget it is eliminated as a program.
Ending civil plutonium separation. The plutonium separated from non-military spent fuel is stored at the Mayak production complex. Russia's civil plutonium stockpile is currently around 30 metric tons and it increases each year as more plutonium is separated from Soviet designed reactors. The goal of this program was to incentivize Russia to stop producing this material. In FY 2001, $15 million was provided for this effort. The current Bush administration request is $0.
Summary of FY 2002 Budget Requests Selected Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Programs U.S. DOE/National Nuclear Security Administration
(Dollars in thousands)
Nonproliferation and Verification R&D (NN-20)
Program
FY 2000
FY 2001
FY 2002
Delta
% Change
Nonproliferation and Verification R&D
212,842
244,515
208,102
-36,413
-14.9%
Selected Arms Control Programs (NN-40)
Program
FY 2000
FY 2001
FY 2002
Delta
% Change
Nuclear Cities Initiative (NCI)
7,500
16,616
6,616
-10,000
-80.2%
Serial Production Facility Closure (NCI)
0
10,000
0
-10,000
-100%
Subtotal NCI
7,500
26,616
6,616
-20,000
-75.1%
Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention (IPP)
20,716
24,143
22,143
-2,000
-8.3%
Plutonium Registry
0
500
0
-500
-100.0%
Kazakhstan Spent Fuel Project
15,459
15,926
9,615
-6,311
-39.6%
Spent Fuel Storage/Repository
0
2,385
2,385
0
0.0%
Separated Civilian Plutonium Management
0
14,799
0
-14,799
-100%
International Materials Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPC&A) (NN-50)
Program
FY 2000
FY 2001
FY 2002
Delta
% Change
MPC&A: Navy Complex
56,698
58,551
38,000
-20,551
-35.1%
MPC&A: Navy Upgrades
0
19,000
0
-19,000
-100.0%
MPC&A: MINATOM Complex
20,375
24,416
35,300
+10,884
+44.5%
MPC&A: Mayak
0
5,000
0
-5,000
-100.0%
MPC&A: Materials Consolidation at Civilian Sites
32,868
31,521
40,000
+ 8,479
+26.9%
MPC&A: National Programs and Sustainability
28,094
25,019
22,000
-3,018
-12.1%
MPC&A Multilateral and Emergency Coordination
700
5,200
3,500
-2,700
-43.5%
Total, MPC&A
138,735
168,707
138,800
-30,907
-18.2%
Fissile Materials Disposition (NN-60)
PROGRAM
FY 2000
FY 2001
FY 2002
Delta
% Change
I. U.S. FISSILE MATERIALS DISPOSITION (Operations)
U.S. plutonium disposition
133,259
90,216
92,000
+1,784
+2.0%
U.S. uranium disposition
0
9,955
26,000
+18,045
+161.2%
Supporting technologies (includes some uranium-related disposition technologies)
0
14,692
26,089
+11,397
+77.6%
Subtotal, U.S. Program (Operating)
133,259
114,863
144,089
+29,226
+25.4%
Subtotal, U.S. Program (Operating), less uranium disposition activities
133,259
98,902
112,089
+13,187
+13.3%
II. U.S. FISSILE MATERIALS DISPOSITION (Construction))
U.S. Program (Construction), including uranium-related facilities
31,126
69,778
104,000
+34,222
+49.0%
U.S. Program (Construction), less uranium disposition facilities
31,126
48,892
80,000
+31,108
+63.6%
TOTAL, U.S. Fissile Materials Disposition Program
164,385
184,641
248,089
+63,448
+34.4%
TOTAL, U.S. Fissile Materials Disposition Program, less HEU disposition projects
164,385
147,794
192,089
+44,295
+30.0%
III. RUSSIAN PLUTONIUM DISPOSITION
Russian Surplus Plutonium Disposition facilities
3,111
16,650
42,000
+25,350
152.3%
Advanced Reactor Development
5,000
9,847
1,000
-8,847
-89.8%
U.S. Oversight of Russian Activities
21,834
30,010
19,000
-11,010
-36.7%
Subtotal, Russian Plutonium Disposition
29,945
56,507
62,000
+5,493
+9.7%
Less use of prior year balances
-15,000
-42,000
-27,000
-180%
TOTAL, Russian Plutonium Disposition
29,945
41,507
20,000
-21,507
-51.8%
GRAND TOTAL, Fissile Materials Disposition
194,330
226,148
268,089
+41,941
+18.5%
GRAND TOTAL, Fissile Materials Disposition, less HEU disposition
