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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Doe Cuts Could Mean Reductions At Inel More Than 2,000 Jobs May Be Trimmed In Next Two Years

Associated Press

President Clinton and U.S. Energy Secretary Hazel O’Leary have pledged to cut at least $10.6 billion from her agency’s budget over the next five years, including some expenditures for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory.

Energy “is able to make the largest federal agency contribution to deficit reduction because in the last two years we have shown we can cut waste, bring down costs, and work smarter on our critical national security, science, environmental and energy missions,” O’Leary said Monday.

Energy-Idaho management estimates future reductions at the nuclear reservation will require elimination of up to 1,000 jobs by the end of fiscal year 1997, in addition to the 1,250 “redundant” positions being cut in a three-stage process announced last November, INEL contractor Lockheed Idaho Technologies reported.

Clinton and O’Leary unveiled their fiscal 1996 budgets on Monday. O’Leary’s is $17.8 billion, up from $17.5 billion. The increase reflects new initiatives, particularly in national security and science.

“The truth is sometimes you have to spend money to save money,” O’Leary said. “Further savings - to the tune of more than $10 billion - will show up next year and beyond as we realign the department’s operations and run them more effectively at lower costs.”

INEL’s total fiscal 1995 budget through Sept. 30 is $1.03 billion. Of that, $557.4 million went to cleanup and waste management work.

The nationwide cuts will likely entail asking workers to voluntarily quit their jobs, but could also include layoffs.

That is what Eugene Schmitt of Energy’s Environmental Management Office told the Idaho Chapter of the American Nuclear Society three weeks ago.

Clinton said he hopes to save $22.8 billion in fiscal 1996 by reorganizing the departments of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation, along with the General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management.

Administration accountants have said they believe Energy is spending 30 percent too much for ongoing efforts to clean up nuclear and hazardous waste at sites such as INEL and on managing stored wastes.

The cuts are part of Clinton’s plan to slash 173,000 jobs from the federal work force by the end of 1996 from its size when he took office.