other appropriations available to AEC. Mr. Burrows said he did not
believe the AEC budget for FY 1957 provided sufficient flexibility to
fund these programs without deferring other projects.
Mr, Fields said that requests for funds for the nuclear rocket
propulsion program now totaled approximately $50 million, However,
he said he had decided not to request additional funds for this program
until the AEC-DOD evaluation of it had been completed. Mr. Libby
pointed out that the additional funds requested in AEC 817/13 for the
rocket program might also be deferred until this evaluation was
complete, He observed that an entirely new laboratory might be
necessary for this pregram. Mr. Davis said that deferral of the
present request would delay the program approximately for one year.
Mr. Fields called the Commissioners’ attention to the $9.3
million requested for the power reactor program. He said all of
these funds might be required for the second round of the power
dermonstration reacicr program and asked whether the Commissioners
believed additional funds should be requested for other power reactor
projects which might be submitted in FY 1957. Mir. Murray said he
believed es much as$100 million should be requested and asked whether
provision had been madefor third and fourth rounds of the PDRP.
Mr. Cook said that no provisions had been made. Mr. Burrows added
that uc funds had previously been requested in the Plant and Equipment
budget. M:, Davis said he bel’sved the present requect would provide
for f2e second round of the PORP and would provide some flexibility
for otuer projects, but would not provide for a third round of the program.
Mr, Vance pointed out that the General Manager was recommending
a twenty-two percent increase in the amounts previously requested for
‘che « Y 1957 budget. He said it did not seem to him that the staff paper
wader consideration properly justified the need for an increase of this
satire. Mr. Cook obsezved that the twenty-two percent increase covered
1ew requests for authorization and that new requests for funds were not
*“reAs large. Mr. Vance said that it had previously been stated that the
1957 Sudget did not provide flexibility, but after a Bureau of the Budget
reduction of $50 million, funds had been re-allocated to cover this re~«
duction. Mr. Fields pointed out that it might alzeady be possible that
AEC would need to request supplemental appropriations for FY 1957
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