Burke's recent comments, had included this project in the 1959 shipbuilding program and had established 1962 as a target date for launching of
the completed vessel, Mr. Vance requested that an inquiry be made to
determine whether there has been any change concerning this item in the
Department of the Navy's FY 1959 budget.
Special Nuclear Materials
Mr. Bloch reviewed the Equipment and Process Development
items in the special nuclear materials budget estimates. He said that
$20 million of the equipment item is considered essential to provide
for replacements of equipment, and that the $29.6 million for the Process
Development item would be necessary to maintain an adequate program
of plant support, although it would not provide for further cost reductions,
Mr. Vance observed that the Equipment item had been substantially
increased from the FY 1957 figure of $12.8 million. Mr, Burrows
explained that the F Y 1957 funds had been insufficient and that, therefore,
at least $20 million was required to maintain this program ata
satisfactory level in FY 1959.
Mr, Bloch then reviewed the various improvements which could
be made under the $78 million request for feed materials. Mr. Vance
remarked that this was a reasonable request in view of the scale of
operations involved.
Mr. Libby suggested that existing facilities at Hanford and
Savannah River rather than a new plant be utilized for development work
on the reprocessing of fuel elements from civilian power reactors, and
Mr. Bloch said that recommendations on such a course of action would
be submitted to the Commission.
Weapons
General Starbird summarized the weapons testing operations
planned for FY 1959 and described the programs planned at the Nevada
and Pacific Test Sites at an approximate cost of $45 million, as
opposed to the cost of $53.8 million for Operation REDWING, In
response to a question by Mr, Libby, General Starbird said that,
although a comparison of respective costs was not available for
Operations REDWING and HARDTACK dueto the overlapping of the
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