FY 1999 Budget Request of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

 


Executive Summary


TRADITIONAL BUDGET STRUCTURE

National Ocean Service

National Marine Fisheries Service

Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research

National Weather Service

National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service

Program Support

Facilities

Fleet Maintenance & Planning

Other Accounts


Budget Request--
Strategic Plan Structure

Supplementary Tables


Budget Home Page

NOAA Home Page

Facilities and Construction

Total Request: $36,646,000
[$16,400,000 Operations, Research & Facilities]
[$20,246,000 Procurement, Acquisition & Construction]

Goal-Based Table | Activity-Based Chart Activity-Based Table

The following narrative describes the total NOAA program activities relating to land acquisition; the construction of new facilities; repairs, preventive actions, modifications and additions to existing facilities; facilities maintenance, environmental compliance, safety and health; and for facilities consolidation, in the most economical, efficient and effective manner. The detailed narrative has been divided to show the Operations, Research and Facilities (ORF) and Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction (PAC) accounts.


FACILITIES (ORF)

Total Request: $16,400,000

NOAA-wide Space Planning - NOAA requests an increase of $ 0.7 million to provide space planning studies in support of NOAA in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and in Norman, OK.

NOAA Facilities Maintenance - As the NOAA-owned facilities have an average age of 30 years, investment in significant, major repairs and upgrades becomes increasingly critical. Major systems in many facilities are well past their design life and require maintenance, repair or replacement to ensure that the facilities remain available to support NOAA's programs. NOAA requests no changes in FY 1999 to the level of $1.8 million appropriated by Congress for these activities in FY 1998.

Environmental Compliance and Cleanup - This program provides for activities necessary to: (1) comply with existing laws, and safety regulations; (2) identify environmental problems and engage in required cleanup; (3) and provide guidance to NOAA program managers engaged in the receipt, handling, use and disposal of hazardous materials. In accordance with Federal law, NOAA will also establish the environmental status and correct deficiencies discovered at NOAA facilities prior to their transfer to other Federal agencies or to the private sector. NOAA requests no changes in FY 1999 to the level of $2.0 million appropriated by Congress for these activities in FY 1998.

Weather Forecast Office (WFO) Facilities Maintenance - NOAA requests a total of $5.4 million for WFO Maintenance in ORF, a $4.4 million increase over FY 1998 pursuant to the recommendations of B/G (Ret.) General John Kelly. The Weather Forecast Offices provide forecasters with modernized facilities, supporting the new advanced technology systems and the provision of weather services to the public. The increase will provide basic facility service contracts as well as provide the required level of corrective and preventive maintenance actions at selected WFOs. As WFOs continue to age, the facilities require an investment in recurring and cyclic maintenance activities to support modernized field operations.

Other Requests in ORF - NOAA requests a total of $2.0 million for the payment of lease costs for the joint Federal/State James J. Howard Laboratory at Sandy Hook in Highlands, New Jersey, and $4.5 million for the Columbia River facilities.


CONSTRUCTION (PAC)

Total Request: $20,246,000

Boulder Laboratory - NOAA requests an increase of $2.8 million to fund the above-standard costs, moving expenses, a rent increase, and maintenance and operational services for the Boulder environmental laboratory. Moving into the new Boulder facility are elements of the following NOAA activities: OAR, NESDIS, NWS, and the Office of Finance and Administration (OFA).

WFO Construction - NOAA requests a total of $9.5 million for WFO Construction in the PAC Construction Account. This represents a decrease of $4.3 million from the FY 1999 base. The Weather Forecast Offices provide forecasters with modernized facilities, supporting the new advanced technology systems and the provision of weather services to the public. The request will provide funding for existing WFO leases and continue facility retrofit projects. The retrofits are necessary to meet current usage requirements as well as safety and fire code regulations. The request will also provide funding for the NWS/FAA Alaska Employee Housing Project at remote sites in Alaska.

NCEP Construction - NOAA requests a total of $.9 million for NCEP Construction in the PAC Construction Account. This represents an increase of $.9 million above FY 1999 base to finalize construction and relocation of the Aviation Weather Center in Kansas City. The Aviation Weather Center provide critical centralized weather prediction services in support on the Nation's aviation community.

Santa Cruz Research Laboratory - NOAA requests a total of $4.2 million in FY 1999, a decrease of $11.0 million from FY 1998 currently available funding, to complete the construction of a fisheries laboratory at Santa Cruz, California. This laboratory will replace the aging Tiburon Laboratory and is critical to the successful continuation of salmon, groundfish and habitat research in central California.
Other Requests in the PAC - NOAA requests the following decreases/terminations: National Estuarine Research Reserves facilities, $8.0 million; The Honolulu Laboratory, $2.0 million; Gulf Coast Laboratory, $5.0 million; Alaska Fisheries Center, $8.0 million; and the Pribilof Islands Environmental Cleanup, $5.0 million.