The U.S. Department of Energy nominees, Thomas Grumbly and Alvin Alm, received strong bipartisan support at their confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on March 5. Committee members unanimously praised Grumbly for doing an "outstanding job" at DOE's Office of Environmental Management and said DOE was fortunate to have these highly qualified and accomplished public servants. On March 13, the committee formally approved Grumbly's nomination as DOE under secretary, the third highest post in DOE, and Alm's as assistant secretary of the Office of Environmental Management. The nominations will be effective upon confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
At the hearing, Grumbly stated EM's fiscal year 1997 budget request would be "substantially less than our request for FY94" and would rely even more on risk assessment. Alm stated he would continue the direction and goals Grumbly set for EM. On the issue of science and technology, Alm said, "We need to apply the best science to the EM program. There are substantial opportunities to characterize waste more efficiently and deploy new, more cost-effective technologies. New technology will allow DOE to conduct the program at lower costs and, by allowing it to tackle some currently intractable problems, will result in greater health protection."
As under secretary, Grumbly will oversee DOE's nuclear materials and weapons cleanup program, the civilian radioactive waste program, and safety-related activities in the former nuclear weapons complex. As the new assistant secretary for environmental management, Alm will direct all environmental management activities at DOE's nuclear weapons sites, including waste management, environmental restoration, nuclear material and facility stabilization, and technology development.
