4. Sciz: 97/30 CLOSEOUT COSTS CLINCH RIVER BREEDER REACTOR PROJECT HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY-SEVENTH CONGRESS COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DON FUQUA, Florida, Chairman ROBERT A. ROE, New Jersey MARILYN LLOYD BOUQUARD, Tennessee BERYL ANTHONY, JR., Arkansas* LARRY WINN, JR., Kansas BARRY M. GOLDWATER, JR., California HAMILTON FISH, JR., New York MANUEL LUJAN, JR., New Mexico HAROLD C. HOLLENBECK, New Jersey ROBERT S. WALKER, Pennsylvania EDWIN B. FORSYTHE, New Jersey WILLIAM CARNEY, New York MARGARET M. HECKLER, Massachusetts F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR., Wisconsin VIN WEBER, Minnesota JUDD GREGG, New Hampshire JOE SKEEN, New Mexico CLAUDINE SCHNEIDER, Rhode Island BILL LOWERY, California CONTENTS Mahlon Gates, Acting Assistant Secretary, Nuclear Energy, Department of Energy, accompanied by Lochlin Caffey, director, Clinch River breed- er reactor plant project; Paul Shlemon, Counsel, DOE; Warren Berg- holz, Counsel, DOE; John Kearney, senior vice president, Edison Electric Institute; Carl Hobelman, counsel, Breeder Reactor Corporation; and J. Dexter Peach, Director, Energy and Minerals Division, GAO, accompa- nied by Cliff Fowler, Senior Evaluator, Energy and Minerals Division, CLOSEOUT COSTS CLINCH RIVER BREEDER REACTOR PROJECT MONDAY, MAY 11, 1981 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Washington, D.C. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 1:30 p.m., in room 2318, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Don Fuqua (chairman) presiding. Present: Representatives Fuqua, Winn, Brown, Fish, Lujan, Ottinger, Harkin, Bouquard, Walgren, Sensenbrenner, Weber, Gore, Gregg, Young, McGrath, White, Skeen, Volkmer, Schneider, Wolpe, Nelson, Lowery, Ertel, Shamansky, and McCurdy. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. The media has requested permission for television and radio coverage of the hearing. Is there objection? Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Reserving the right to object, Mr. Chairman, and I shall not object, but I want to take this opportunity to point out to the committee and to the media representatives present the provisions of clause 3 of House Rule 11 which requires that the television and film cameras must operate from fixed positions in a way so as not to obstruct the view of any member of the committee or people at the witness table and that the still photographers must not position themselves between the witness table and the members of the committee. We have had a little problem in previous hearings of the committee with the media complying with those provisions of House Rule 11 and I would hope if there is a violation today the chairman would bring that to the attention of the media immediately. I withdraw my reservation. The CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the request? The Chair hears none. It is so ordered and I would ask the media to observe the rules in the process of carrying out their responsibilities. The meeting today is to try to determine certain costs that may be affected by the committee action last week as it relates to the Clinch River breeder reactor project. I would like to stress to the members of the committee that we are not here today to debate the pros and cons of Clinch River, but to try to determine what the budgetary actions are that we must take in exercising our responsibilities in the authorization bill as it relates to certain obligations of the Government and the pending obligations the Government may or may not have. (1) |