Schumer: With Navy Funds, We've Cleared a Big Hurdle for Kesselring Reactor and Staved-off a Painful Closure -- Will Continue Fight for More Robust Long-Term Funding

Press Release

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that, after speaking with both Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE) Ernest Moniz, the Navy will provide an additional $16 million in FY14 funding to keep open the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP) operated by Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) at the Kenneth Kesselring site in West Milton. Schumer explained that the Department of Defense (DoD) will transfer these funds from the Navy budget to the DOE so they can continue funding the Kesselring site.

Schumer received assurances from the Navy and the DOE that this additional funding will be enough to keep the facility and its training programs running this year. The program, which trains over 1,000 cadets per year on how to operate the 97 nuclear reactors that provide propulsion to Navy aircraft carriers and submarines, was at risk of having to shut down one of its nuclear training reactors on October 1st due to a $151 million cut in the budget for the NNPP. KAPL, a world-class naval research facility, houses two nuclear reactors used for training, will now get an additional $16 million from the Navy budget in order to keep operations running this year.

"The Navy and DOE heard our case loud and clear and made the right decision that staves off a disruptive and very unwise closure, and provides the financial fuel to keep this absolutely vital nuclear training reactor humming. Today's announcement that the Navy will provide an extra $16 million this year to keep the Kesselring site open is great news for the Capital Region and for our country, which relies on the Kesselring reactors to train essential military personnel. It's a critical resource for the Capital Region economy and for our national security. It was imperative that we avoided the closure of one of the reactors, and today we've done just that," said Schumer. "But our work is not yet complete: we also must make sure it keeps running for years to come, so I will continue to work with both Secretary Moniz, Secretary Mabus and my senate colleagues to secure funds for next year and beyond."

In addition to pushing the Navy and DOE to plug this year's funding gap, Schumer is fighting for funds for next year as part of the ongoing appropriations process. Schumer's goal is to secure additional appropriations in the next few years so that KAPL's nuclear reactor is taken permanently off the chopping block.

Schumer had proposed that one possible option for closing the funding gap would be for the Department of Defense (DOD), which has jurisdiction over the Navy budget, to transfer the necessary funds to DOE. Schumer made it clear to both Mabus and Moniz that he will fight for the funding needed to keep this reactor open next year as part of the ongoing FY2015 budget process, but that the only way to keep the reactor up and running through the rest of this year is for the money to come from either the DOE or DOD budget. After speaking with Secretary Moniz and the Navy, Schumer announced that indeed the DoD would transfer $16 million in FY14 funds from the Navy budget to the DOE to keep both Kesselring reactors functional this year.

There are approximately 700 Navy and civilian personnel assigned to the nuclear training reactor which was at risk of closing. This includes 450 sailors who train at this reactor at any one time. Prior to this notice, unless there was a clear signal by July that this year's funding gap would be closed, employees would have started to receive notice that they will be laid off or re-assigned.

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