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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FY08 DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS EXPLANATIONS
______
HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON
of idaho
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, in accordance with House earmark reforms,
I would like to place into the Record a listing of congressionally
directed projects in my home State of Idaho that are contained within
the report to the fiscal year 2008 Defense appropriations bill.
I'd like to take just a few minutes to describe why I supported these
projects and why they are valuable to the Nation and its taxpayers.
The report contains $3 million for a technology entitled Vacuum
Sampling Pathogen Collection and Concentration. Developed by Microbial-
Vac Systems in Jerome, ID, the advanced ``Vacuum Pathogen'' collection
and concentration systems are critical to continued advancement of the
Department of Defense's applications for manual and robotic sample
acquisition and traceability of biothreat agents in food safety and
environmental settings. Expansion and centralization of facilities,
manufacturing, distribution, and infrastructure support capabilities
will provide improved and more economically feasible commercial
production capacities, emergency supply storage and expanded quality
control capabilities. These measures are critically needed to supply
sufficient numbers of the sterilely packaged pathogen collection and
rapid processing technology to fill military and civilian emergency
immediate and long-term needs during pandemic outbreaks, hostile
attacks and post-incident remediation/decontamination monitoring and
verification procedures. Improved national defense and food security
will be realized by initial second-generation technology development of
precise sample location and traceability, robotic field collection and
automated rapid processing interfacing capability development. This
project has received Federal funding in previous fiscal years.
This project was requested by Microbial- Vac Systems in Jerome, ID.
The report contains $2 million for the Idaho Accelerator Center, IAC,
at Idaho State University's, ISU's, Small Accelerators and Detection
Systems for Defense Applications program. Ongoing work at IAC suggests
that transportable accelerators can now be developed to actively
identify suspected nuclear materials/packages in the field, neutralize
biological/chemical agents when discovered, decontaminate areas where
bio/chem agents may have been released, and detect explosives and
contraband in a variety of challenging circumstances. The IAC and the
ISU academic community, in collaboration with scientists and engineers
from the private sector and national laboratories, has been involved in
developing technology for the remote detection of hazardous materials
and contraband for more than 15 years. Through these associations the
IAC has devised non-intrusive means to identify the contents of
containers of various kinds that may contain fissionable material,
radioactive material, explosives, hazardous material--biological or
chemical--and contraband--FREHC--for homeland and national security
applications. This project has received Federal funding in previous
fiscal years.
This project was requested by Idaho State University in Pocatello,
ID.
The report contains $2 million for a program entitled Systematic
Hierarchical Approach to Radiation Hardened Electronics, SHARE. Lack of
consistent reliable performance of integrated circuits, IC, used in
space communication, surveillance, and guidance systems continues to be
a potentially debilitating problem for the military services. The
problem has been aggravated by the rapid and unsettling contraction of
the industrial base needed to design and produce the specialized
electronics that must perform in applications requiring high
reliability in a challenging radiation-charged environment. As one of
the principal users of radiation hardened, RadHard, electronics, the
U.S. Air Force is pursuing domestically fabricated technologies that
will ensure a ready and economical capability for producing radiation
hardened microelectronics using advanced commercial processes. SHARE
has been identified by the Air Force as a critical capability that will
enable collaboration among circuit designers, simulation software
vendors, and foundries under the direction of SEAMS Center AFRL at
Kirtland AFB, NM. This project has received Federal funding in previous
fiscal years.
This project was requested by American Semiconductor in Boise, ID.
I appreciate the opportunity to provide a list of congressionally
directed projects in my region and an explanation of my support for
them.
(1) $3 million for Vacuum Sampling Pathogen Collection and
Concentration; Microbial-Vac Systems.
(2) $2 million for Small Accelerators and Detection Systems for
Defense Applications; ISU.
(3) $2 million for Systematic Hierarchical Approach to Radiation
Hardened Electronics, SHARE; ASI.
____________________
