[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 134 (Wednesday, October 1, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S10301]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS CONFERENCE REPORT FOR 
                            FISCAL YEAR 1998

 Mr. ASHCROFT. I would like to make a statement regarding the 
transfer of FUSRAP to the Army Corps of Engineers.
  Mr. President, yesterday I cast a vote in favor of the Energy and 
Water Development Appropriations Conference Report for FY 1998 with 
hesitation. Missouri has a major FUSRAP site in St. Louis which 
contains nuclear contamination from the Manhattan project and other 
hazardous waste. For 15 years we have worked with the Department of 
Energy to clean up this site. During such time I have expressed concern 
over the delays but in just the past 2 weeks we have come to the point 
where DOE has begun preliminary cleanup efforts. Given this recent 
progress, the news of the FUSRAP program's transfer out of DOE has, 
quite understandably, caused a great deal of distress in the St. Louis 
community. While I am not questioning the corps' ability to handle the 
FUSRAP project, concern has been expressed that further delays will be 
caused by the transfer and undo much of the recent progress.
  With site recommendations already made, feasibility studies 
concluded, and contracts let, it is encouraging that the corps will 
honor the preliminary groundwork laid by the St. Louis community. The 
plan designed by the community further illustrates their ability to 
continue to administer the program from St. Louis. Further, I was 
pleased to learn that the cleanup and restoration of contaminated sites 
falling within the purview of FUSRAP shall be managed and executed by 
the St. Louis area Civil Works District of the Corps of Engineers, 
ensuring that the local community will continue to be very involved in 
designing cleanup plans at the FUSRAP site and effectively maintain 
community input in the process.

                          ____________________