The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has approved a bill that would add $24 million for Hanford cleanup to the amount requested by the Bush administration for fiscal 2009.

That could partially make up for the $58 million reduction from the current budget proposed by the administration.

"By increasing funds for Hanford, this bill recognizes the serious failures of the president's budget request," Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., said in a statement. The president's budget request would lead to Hanford layoffs that have been estimated at 300 to 500 workers.

Hastings cautioned that there is widespread speculation Congress will fail to take action on the DOE appropriations bill that includes Hanford money until after the presidential election or even until after a new president takes office. With the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, that could leave the Hanford budget undetermined well into fiscal 2009.

The money added by the House includes $15 million for cleanup along the Columbia River being done by Washington Closure Hanford and $9 million for work at the Plutonium Finishing Plant.

Under the administration's budget proposal, $77 million would be cut from cleanup along the Columbia, leaving the 2009 budget for the work smaller even with the House's boost. The Washington Closure Contract for 2009 is based on spending $242 million that year, but the administration proposed $165 million for the work. The additional House money would bring it to $180 million.

The House version of the Hanford budget would include full funding for the $12.2 billion vitrification plant of $690 million for construction in 2009, as proposed by the administration. The plant is being built to turn Hanford's worst waste stored in underground tanks into a stable glass form for disposal.

With the Hanford budget far from final, Hastings said he would "keep working towards a final funding level that allows cleanup progress to continue and skilled workers to stay on the job of cleaning up Hanford." He's particularly concerned that cleanup of Hanford along the Columbia River stays on schedule, he said.

The $24 million added to the administration proposal is Hanford's portion of $221.5 million added in the House bill to the administration's request for fiscal 2009 funding of DOE nuclear sites across the nation.

In addition, DOE is expected to receive $62.5 million in the Supplemental Appropriations bill for fiscal 2008 to help offset expected cuts in fiscal 2009.

The additional money in both bills "will help fill the unacceptable gap left by the president's proposed budget," Hastings said.

The administration has proposed spending $5.5 billion in 2009, down from peak funding of $7.3 billion in fiscal 2005.

The House Appropriations Committee also has approved spending $54.3 million in DOE money to replace buildings used by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Hanford's 300 Area. Most of the buildings are being torn down as part of Hanford cleanup and replaced with three new buildings, including the nearly 200,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Facility.

The $54.3 million meets the full obligation of the DOE Office of Science and National Nuclear Security Administration for fiscal 2009.

In addition the Homeland Security Appropriations bill, which was approved Tuesday by the House Appropriations Committee, includes $15 million for the replacement buildings.

"This project needs to stay on schedule and on track," Hastings said.