SRSCRO April 2022 Update

FY23 President's Budget Request

The White House has released the President's FY 2023 budget request. The President’s FY23 budget for the Department of Energy (DOE) is $48.2 billion, a $3.3 billion increase from the FY22 enacted level ($44.9 billion). A copy of the Department of Energy’s FY 2023 Congressional Budget Request document called the “Budget in Brief” can be found at https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/doe-fy2023-budget-in-brief-v2.pdf

The requested FY23 funding levels for DOE programs for selected offices of local interest are listed below.

National Nuclear Security Administration: $21.4 billion, a $700 million increase from the FY22 enacted level ($20.7 billion).

Office of Environmental Management: $8.06 billion, a $160 million increase from the FY22 enacted level ($7.9 billion).

During March through June, the budget will be in the Legislative Process. This means the House and Senate develop their own budget resolutions to set spending levels. These will often deviate from each other as well as from the President's request. These resolutions are NOT signed into law.

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees, through their 12 subcommittees, hold hearings to examine the budget requests and needs of federal spending programs. The House and Senate then produce appropriations bills to fund the federal government. These bills are "marked-up," amended as needed, and approved by the Appropriations Committees.

Normally during July to October, Congress finalizes the spending levels. After approval by the Appropriations Committees, the bills head to the House and Senate floors where they may be further amended and eventually passed. Most times, the bills passed by House and Senate differ in some significant ways and must be reconciled. Once a final bill has been negotiated between the two chambers, it must then pass the House and Senate and be signed by the President. If Congress cannot agree on new funding levels before October 1, a Continuing Resolution is required.

WORC Benefits Community

Workforce Opportunities in Regional Careers (WORC) programs were on display at the March 23 Up & Atom breakfast hosted by the Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness. Representatives from the SRS Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO), Aiken Technical College and a WORC scholarship recipient spoke about the many benefits of WORC in the two-state community that surrounds the Savannah River Site. Other WORC partner colleges and universities were on hand as well. In case you missed it, some of the highlights include how WORC funding is benefitting the community with:

1,868 scholarships in nuclear-industry fields of study
70% of the scholarships awarded to minority or non-traditional students
Scholarships for SRS apprenticeship programs
Student success coaching
Classroom supplies and equipment
Rural region STEM outreach
Updated technology for rural regions
Undergraduate research opportunities
Hundreds of local students entering local careers

Dr. Crystal Ratliff, Dean of Student Success and Retention at Aiken Technical College, shared specific examples of how WORC funds are opening doors for citizens in our community. Brooke Stagich, Senior Scientist at Savannah River National Laboratory, shared her experience as a WORC scholarship recipient.

WORC is a distinctive series of grant programs that are funded by the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management at SRS and the National Nuclear Security Administration. Learn more here.

New STEM Career Camp

Local teens have a new summer opportunity, and now is the time to sign up. The Ruth Patrick Science Education Center at University of South Carolina Aiken is offering a unique program July 18-22.

Students entering grades 9-12 will learn from the area’s top experts as they guide students through different career paths and how to get started. The program involves hands-on sessions designed to help students learn in a safe and fun environment and experience STEM professional careers. Whether it is visiting a meteorologist on a television set, meeting with a drone pilot to experience flying one, exploring the Thurmond Dam to learn about hydropower from the Corp of Engineers, discovering how robotics are used at the Savannah River Site (SRS) from a robotics engineer, visiting the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory to meet with a wildlife biologist, traveling to the SRS Museum to learn about the rich STEM history and career focus of the area and more, the campers will be immersed into the STEM professional community.

STEM Forward Career Exploration Camp is supported through the Workforce Opportunities in Regional Careers (WORC) program, that is managed through the SRSCRO. Click here to learn more.

FY24 Budget Information to External Stakeholders

The Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) clarified its policy to ensure that local governments are specifically recognized as key partners in EM’s annual budget development at every EM site.

Specific recommendations for engaging local governments are highlighted in “Guidance on the Dissemination of Budget Information to External Stakeholders for the Office of Environmental Management’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request,” a memorandum signed by Senior Advisor William “Ike” White. EM updated the guidance to ensure that every site includes local governments in the EM budget development decisions.

The guidance also included an attachment listing the local jurisdictions EM should contact for engagement. The new section states the following:

“Officials from the affected units of local government at each site should be engaged at early stages of the budget development process to create a budget that meets cleanup needs.

Field sites should brief local governments during the following budget stages: (i) following the release of budget requests, (ii) following the receipt of an appropriation, and (iii) during the budget development process. Note that DOE budget presentations given to Site-Specific Advisory Boards (SSABs) or local Citizen Advisory Boards do not substitute for direct engagement with local governments.

To strengthen local governmental engagement for the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) budget and beyond, the following activities are recommended:

Field sites should meet annually in spring/early summer with local governments to discuss budget and priorities planning. This timeframe would allow DOE to (i) provide an update on how the current FY budget is being spent, (ii) discuss the outlook for the FY beginning in October, and (iii) gain local government insight that may potentially influence DOE’s request to OMB for the following fiscal year.
Field sites should provide read-ahead materials including priority projects that would be funded each FY. Materials could also include information on longer term projects that are still several years away, but that remain relevant for local governments.
Field sites, where applicable, should include budget process discussion in monthly meetings between site managers and city managers. Alternatively, field sites could host a monthly meeting about budget and priorities planning with local governments."

Based upon this guidance, DOE‐Savannah River also requested stakeholder input from the SRSCRO asking for specific priorities for the FY2024 budget development. The request letter stated that the DOE-SR Manager, Mike Budney, considers and communicates all stakeholders' input when developing our site priorities for input to the complex-wide Environmental Management budget. The SRSCRO response for input into the FY24 budget development can be found here.

In This Issue

FY23 President's Budget Request

WORC Benefits Community

New STEM Career Camp

FY24 Budget Information to External Stakeholders

Spotlight

Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC)

The initial groundbreaking ceremony for the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) occurred on April 19, 2022. It has taken many, many people, and many, many years to get this $50 million facility finally under construction at the campus of USC Aiken. Many of those involved in this effort and other dignitaries were in attendance. A more official “ribbon cutting” could possibility take place once the facility is built and open for business.

Having such a facility on the campus of USC Aiken will be a positive impact to our local region. This new facility will appeal to the younger workforce with higher expectations and more options that are attractive for a workplace environment. Building this facility on the campus of USC Aiken will also leverage the educational impact of the AMC for K-12 students and university partners. Such a facility will be a catalyst in the local community for an innovative campus with private sector and university collaboration in Research & Development (R&D) as well as industrial and technology startups.

Socks

Fun Facts

1. The oldest known pair of socks is 1,600 years old and was excavated at the end of the 19th century from the burial grounds of ancient Oxyrhynchus, a Greek colony on the Nile in central Egypt. The socks are made from red wool and have split toes for wearing with sandals.

2. The word ‘sock’ comes from the Latin word ‘soccus’ – a loose-fitting slipper worn by Roman comic actors.

3. Experts believe that the first socks were worn by cavemen, who wrapped animal skins around their feet and tied them at the ankle. Animal furs were sometimes used for extra warmth.

4. In the 8th Century BC, the Greek poet, Hesiod, wrote about piloi, which were socks made from matted animal hair. Doesn’t sound that comfortable, does it?

5. Rust on a nail from a Roman sandal, found at an archaeological dig in Yorkshire, appeared to contain material fibers, suggesting that a sock-type garment had been worn. Yep that’s right – Roman legionnaires committed the ultimate modern fashion crime and wore socks with sandals.

6. Researchers found that the mystery of lost socks resulted in 82% of young men rocking odd socks at least once a week.

7. People who wear mismatched socks are more likely to be married. It’s more common for married people to dress in the dark, in an attempt to avoid waking their spouses. This results in them accidentally wearing socks of subtly different colors.

8. It’s as predictable as tax time—it seems like with every load of laundry, a sock goes missing and its partner becomes a widow. Unless this fate befalls a favorite pair of socks, this may just seem like a minor annoyance … but lost socks actually add up. A study revealed that lost socks incur the average family as much as $300 in extra expenses. If you want to stop flushing this money away with the dirty wash water, consider taking a few steps to avoid losing your socks. Clip them together or roll them into balls right out of the laundry; wash your socks in a laundry bag to keep them together; dedicate a separate hamper for your socks; consider investing in sock clips that are washing-machine safe.

9. Your socks have their work cut out for them. Other than your scalp and your armpits, the feet secrete more sweat than any other part of your body—up to half a liter a day! Your socks play a crucial role in keeping you presentable and your shoes odor-free.

10. China’s dominance in garment manufacturing extends to socks, with 40% of the world’s sock inventory, from wild purple socks to simple black or white, beginning its life in a Chinese factory. In fact, China is the home of “Sock City.” Most Chinese socks are produced in the Datang District of the city of Zhuji in the Zhejiang Province of eastern China.

11. December 4 is National Sock Day in America.

12. Experts believe that a fluffy pair of warm socks can promote better circulation throughout your body while you slumber, allowing you to achieve a more restful night’s sleep. Note that we said sleep, not other things you might want to do in bed. While keeping your socks on might be a mood killer, consider slipping your bed socks back on after intimacy time is over and bedtime is upon you.

13. According to The Trend Spotter, in today’s fashion-forward world going sockless is a cool statement. Gents who dare to don their shoes without socks are rewarded with a stylishly modern appearance that oozes confidence.