Senate Appropriations Committee Report Recommendations - NSF Antarctic Program

Accompanying H.R. 2099, the VA, HUD, Independent Agencies Appropriations Bill for FY 1996, is a Senate Appropriations Committee report (104-140) with language on the National Science Foundation. Considerable attention was given to the U.S. Antarctic Program. The complete report language and background information on this program follow:

APPROPRIATIONS REPORT LANGUAGE:

“U.S. ANTARCTIC PROGRAM: Presidential Memorandum 6646 issued in 1982 calls on NSF to be the lead agency for the U.S. Antarctic Program. That policy directive calls for this Nation to maintain a year-round active presence on the continent and to maintain three stations: McMurdo, Palmer, and South Pole. The cost to maintain a U.S. presence in Antarctica is expensive due to the remote location and severe weather conditions. The NSF required $166,770,000 in logistics and operations support in fiscal year 1995 to support $29,060,000 in scientific research activities.

“The Committee is very concerned about the ability for NSF to continue to fund a U.S. permanent presence on the continent given severe budget constraints. This situation is exacerbated by the need for NSF to upgrade or replace its aging facilities such as $200,000,000 estimated to replace the deteriorating South Pole station. The Committee questions whether the 1982 policy to maintain a presence in the Antarctic is still valid.

“As a result, the Committee directs the National Science and Technology Council to undertake a Government wide policy review of the U.S. presence in the Antarctic. The review should examine the validity of the policy contained in Memorandum 6646, namely, the need for a year-round presence, the need for three stations, and the roles of the NSF, Department of Defense, and other Government agencies. The review should examine the policy in the context of the value of the science performed in Antarctica and other U.S. interests. Finally, the review should address the affordability of continued U.S. presence in Antarctica in light of the severe budget environment and examine options for reducing annual logistical and operational budget needs. At a minimum, budget saving options should include greater international cooperation, less than a year-round human presence, and closing one or more of the stations. The results of the review should be submitted to the [Senate Appropriations] Committee by March 31, 1996.”

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) responsible for the March 31, 1996 report is a cabinet-level council established by President Clinton in November 1993. Its purpose is, according to the White House, to “coordinate science, space, and technology policies throughout the federal government.” NSTC is chaired by the President, and includes the Vice President, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and the secretaries of Commerce, Defense, Energy, HHS, State, Interior, Agriculture, Labor, Transportation, and Education, as well as the heads of NASA, NSF, EPA, NIH, OMB, CIA and various other White House councils and offices.

The FY 1996 NSF U.S. Polar Programs budget request, which includes research and logistical support at both poles, is $234.88 million. The request states: “The Foundation is charged with supporting national policy goals in Antarctica: to maintain the Antarctic Treaty, ensure that the continent continues to be used only for peaceful purposes, foster cooperative research contributing the solution of regional and world-wide problems, and protect the environment.”

There are three major facilities in Antarctica: McMurdo Station with a summer population of 1,200, the South Pole Station with a summer population of 125, and the Palmer Station with a summer population of 42. A variety of military and leased aircraft, research vessels, and icebreakers are used to maintain the stations, with operations support provided by a civilian contractor.

The budget request states that an estimated 1,396 people are involved in both Arctic and Antarctic Polar Programs Activities in the current budget year. In describing the U.S. Antarctic Research Program, the request notes: “The U.S. Antarctic Research program (USARP) budget for FY 1996 totals $31.54 million, an increase of $2.48 million. The program supports over 120 research projects in Antarctica each year. This research, best or uniquely carried out in Antarctica, provides the principal expression of U.S. presence in Antarctica. Investigations focus on the earth, the ice, surrounding oceans, the atmosphere and terrestrial and marine biota. The cold, dry atmosphere at the South Pole Station is ideal for several kinds of astronomical and astrophysical investigations. Because conduct of research in Antarctica is expensive, significant attention is devoted to the preparation for projects deployed there. Data analysis and modeling is supported as well.”

The House Appropriations Committee report did not discuss this program. Unless the conference report specifically overrides this Senate report language, which is unlikely, it will stand as a component of the final legislative package.