Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73not60

§16320 Spallation Neutron Source

Title 42 › Chapter 149— NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY AND PROGRAMS › Subchapter IX— RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT › Part G— Science › § 16320

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Requires the Secretary to send Congress, with the President’s yearly budget, a progress report on the Spallation Neutron Source Project. The report must describe milestone achievements, compare actual costs to estimated costs, and note any changes in cost or schedule. The Secretary must also write an operational plan to make sure the Facility is used fully for studying advanced materials, nanoscience, and other Office of Science goals. The plan must set up a peer-reviewed user program, give technical help so outside researchers can use the instruments, phase in system upgrades, and support a program to build new instruments. It must also report the status, and as much as possible the costs and schedules, for full user operations, instruments (including SING), the SNS power upgrade, and the SNS second target station. Definitions: SING = the next-generation instruments item; SNS power upgrade = the upgrade in the Office of Science 20-year plan; SNS second target station = the second target in that plan; Facility = the finished SNS at Oak Ridge National Lab; Project = Department Project 99–E–334 at Oak Ridge. The law authorizes $1,411,700,000 total for the Project: $1,192,700,000 for construction and $219,000,000 for other costs. It also authorizes $75,000,000 each year for fiscal years 2007–2009 for SING and $160,000,000 (no expiration) for the SNS power upgrade. If the Department lacks enough heavy water, $12,000,000 is authorized for fiscal year 2007.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §16320

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In this section:

(1)The term “SING” means the Spallation Neutron Source Instruments Next Generation major item of equipment.

(2)The term “SNS power upgrade” means the Spallation Neutron Source power upgrade described in the 20-year facilities plan of the Office of Science of the Department.

(3)The term “SNS second target station” means the Spallation Neutron Source second target station described in the 20-year facilities plan of the Office of Science of the Department.

(4)The terms “Spallation Neutron Source Facility” and “Facility” mean the completed Spallation Neutron Source scientific user facility located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

(5)The terms “Spallation Neutron Source Project” and “Project” means Department Project 99–E–334, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

(b)(1)The Secretary shall submit to Congress, as part of the annual budget request of the President submitted to Congress, a report on progress on the Spallation Neutron Source Project.

(2)The report shall include for the Project—

(A)a description of the achievement of milestones;

(B)a comparison of actual costs to estimated costs; and

(C)any changes in estimated Project costs or schedule.

(c)(1)The Secretary shall develop an operational plan for the Spallation Neutron Source Facility that ensures that the Facility is employed to the full capability of the Facility in support of the study of advanced materials, nanoscience, and other missions of the Office of Science of the Department.

(2)The operational plan shall—

(A)include a plan for the operation of an effective scientific user program that—

(i)is based on peer review of proposals submitted for use of the Facility;

(ii)includes scientific and technical support to ensure that external users, including researchers based at institutions of higher education, are able to make full use of a variety of high quality scientific instruments; and

(iii)phases in systems upgrades to ensure that the Facility remains at the forefront of international scientific endeavors in the field of the Facility throughout the operating life of the Facility;

(B)include an ongoing program to develop new instruments that builds on the high performance neutron source and that allows neutron scattering techniques to be applied to a growing range of scientific problems and disciplines; and

(C)address the status of and, to the maximum extent practicable, costs and schedules for—

(i)full user mode operations of the Facility;

(ii)instrumentation built at the Facility during the operating phase through full use of the experimental hall, including the SING;

(iii)the SNS power upgrade; and

(iv)the SNS second target station.

(d)(1)There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Spallation Neutron Source Project for the lifetime of the Project $1,411,700,000 for total project costs, of which—

(A)$1,192,700,000 shall be used for the costs of construction; and

(B)$219,000,000 shall be used for other Project costs.

(2)(A)Except as provided in subparagraph (B), there is authorized to be appropriated for the Spallation Neutron Source Facility for—

(i)the SING, $75,000,000 for each of fiscal year 2007 through 2009; and

(ii)the SNS power upgrade, $160,000,000, to remain available until expended.

(B)If stockpiles of heavy water of the Department are insufficient to meet the needs of the Facility, there is authorized to be appropriated for the Facility $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 16320

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60