SPALLATION SOURCE:
DOE Project Survives Close Call in Preliminary House Budget Vote
David Malakoff
Neutron scientists are breathing a bit easier after their flagship U.S. construction project, the Spallation Neutron Source, walked a political tightrope last week in Congress--and survived. The key vote was cast by the House Science Committee, which reversed a thumbs-down verdict earlier in the day and agreed on a $100 million budget to begin construction. That authorization, combined with $169 million approved the previous week by a Senate spending panel, puts the $1.36 billion accelerator on firmer footing for budget battles later in the year.