Rep. Pat Schroeder (D-CO) introduced an amendment to cut $65 million from the Energy and Water Appropriations bill for the Plutonium Recovery Modification Project (PRMP) at the Rocky Flats Plant in Colorado. The $65 million was requested by the DOE for development and construction of the PRMP, with the total estimated cost of the facility at over $600 million. Environmentalists have been opposed to the investment of further funds in Rocky Flats for several reasons. The need for PRMP has not been justified by the DOE. The National Academy of Sciences, in a recent study, confirmed that existing DOE Plutonium Recycling facilities are "more than adequate" to handle DOE's recycling needs. Secondly, construction of the PRMP at Rocky Flats is inconsistent with DOE'S previously published plans to close Rocky Flats by 1995 and move those operations elsewhere, since PRMP will not become operational until 1997 or later.

Due to health and safety issues, environmentalists feel that production at Rocky Flats should be stopped permanently and cleanup should be the first priority. The amendment was rejected 142-278 on June 19. Yes is the pro-environment vote. The House and Senate Armed Services Committees both voted to kill the project later in the year.