Members of Congress representing states or communities adjacent to former nuclear weapons production sites have made another plea to restore cleanup funds in the fiscal year 2009 budget.

The bipartisan effort was led by Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., as chairman of the Nuclear Cleanup Caucus. He and 36 other lawmakers sent a letter to the leadership of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee this week asking for help in restoring money for nuclear cleanup funding at Hanford and other sites next year.

They're asking for $6.6 billion, which is down from peak funding of $7.3 billion in fiscal 2005.

If the budget remains at the proposed $5.5 billion, layoffs are expected at Hanford. In addition, the Department of Energy will miss 23 legal deadlines.

"Perhaps more troubling, DOE has stated that due to these cuts, a substantial amount of work necessary to meet future milestones and obligations will not be performed," the letter said. "As a consequence, DOE will continue to fall behind in meeting legal cleanup obligations well into the future."

The reduced budget proposal for fiscal 2009 would mean cleanup will take longer and cost taxpayers more for increased maintenance on aging facilities and equipment, rising operating costs and new, more stringent security requirements, the letter said.

"By delaying cleanup, reduced budgets mean greater environmental and safety risks and cause the layoff of hundreds of skilled workers," it said.

Representatives from Oregon and Washington who signed the letter include: Hastings and Washington Republicans Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dave Reichert; Washington Democrats Norm Dicks, Jim McDermott, Jay Inslee, Adam Smith, Brian Baird and Rick Larsen; Oregon Republican Greg Walden and Oregon Democrats David Wu, Earl Blumenaur, Peter DeFazio and Darlene Hooley.