$18 Million Targeted For Fairchild Work Congress Approves Funding For Projects At Area Military Facilities
Taxpayers will spend $25 million on military construction projects in the Inland Northwest next year under a budget approved Thursday by Congress.
Fairchild Air Force Base will get $18 million for two major construction projects, and a North Idaho naval station will receive another $7 million.
The $9.98 billion spending blueprint was passed by the Senate and sent to President Clinton, who is expected to sign it even though it calls for spending $750 million more than the administration wanted, congressional sources said.
The military construction bill gives Fairchild $10.9 million for a hydrant fueling system for air tankers and $7.3 million for an aircraft maintenance unit.
Fairchild is the nation’s largest station for aerial refueling tankers, with about 60 KC-135s assigned to the West Plains base.
Neither U.S. Air Force nor congressional spokesmen could provide details of the projects despite repeated inquiries Thursday.
The bill also allocates $7.1 million for expansion at the Navy’s submarine-testing research center at Bayview, Idaho, on Lake Pend Oreille.
The Navy wants to consolidate its operations, erecting two new buildings, constructing a pier and log boom and replacing its hazardous waste storage facility.
The parking area also would be increased and the main gate would be moved to provide better security and traffic movement. One plan involves purchasing Bayview Public Park.
All Washington and Idaho senators voted for the bill, which passed the Senate 92-6. The House approved the conference version of the bill in August.
The Fairchild projects are part of $162 million in military construction spending for Washington state. That includes $49 million to renovate barracks at Fort Lewis and $55 million for improvements at McChord Air Force Base.
Washington would be third, behind only California and North Carolina, in total appropriations for military construction next year.
Idaho would receive more than $29 million in military spending, including about $16 million for projects at Mountain Home Air Force Base.
Republican Sen. Larry Craig, who is seeking re-election, called the bill “good news for Idaho.”
Mountain Home, the new home of eight B-1 bombers, will receive a $9.4 million hangar. That project was not part of the original White House budget request but was added after the Air Force sent the bombers to the base sooner than expected.
, DataTimes