Master FIR (1988)

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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR:	Heaton		DATE TYPED:	02/16/01		HB	HM 4
SHORT TITLE:		Continue DOE support of WIPP				SB
					ANALYST:		Belmares

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY01

FY02

FY01

FY02

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates Senate Memorial 9

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Legislative Finance Committee files

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Memorial 4 requests the United State Department of Energy to continue its support to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) as a facility for use by the Particle Astrophysics Research Community.

Significant Issues

Among the points acknowledged by House Memorial 4:

•WIPP is located in one of the world's largest evaporative salt deposits.
•The deep geologic waste repository has announced the availability of its underground and mine infrastructure to the particle astrophysics research community.
•The United States Department of Energy has been willing to make WIPP available for purposes other than waste disposal and its pledged support.
•The time has arrived to establish a national astrophysics particle research facility in the United States.
•An underground research facility at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant underground and mine infrastructure be made available to the particle research community to conduct particle astrophysics research.
•WIPP's geological attributes lend to using the underground and mine infrastructure.
•acknowledges the cost savings of using existing mine and underground frastructure as well as WIPP's association with an existing federal project.

Additionally House Memorial 9 resolves that copies of the memorial be transmitted to the secretary of the United State Department of Energy and to the New Mexico Congressional delegation.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

No fiscal impact has been identified.

EB/ar