§6301 Restriction on Use of Funds to Pay Penalties Under Environmental Laws

Summary

The Department of Energy can’t use money meant for the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, nuclear weapons programs, or other atomic-energy defense work to pay fines, penalties, or forfeitures that come from not following environmental rules at DOE defense activities or facilities. There are two exceptions. The rule doesn’t apply if the President fails to ask Congress for money to meet the environmental requirement. It also doesn’t apply if Congress has already given the money for that purpose (and that money has not been sequestered, deferred, or rescinded) but the Secretary of Energy does not use it for that purpose.