US naval reactors program keeps Kesselring, Knolls sites going

U.S. President Barrack Obama has included a $1.42 billion request for federal funding of the nation’s naval reactors program in his 2017 budget request.

This means that the Kenneth A. Kesselring site and the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, two sites involved in the naval program will be maintained and grown, as the U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer said in a statement yesterday.

The Kenneth A. Kesselring site in West Milton is operated by the National Nuclear Security Administration and  trains over 1,000 cadets per year on how to operate the 97 nuclear reactors that provide propulsion to Navy aircraft carriers and submarines.

The Niskayuna, New York, Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory conducts research and development for the design and operation of naval nuclear propulsion plants.

At $1.42 billion, this year’s president’s budget comes in at $45 million more than last year’s request.

Schumer said: “This $45 million increase in the President’s budget request is great news for sites like Kenneth A. Kesselring in West Milton and KAPL in Niskayuna – and shows just how important these Capital Region staples are to our economy. These sites employ hundreds of local residents across the region and help ensure our Navy personnel have received the top-notch training they need to perform in the field.”

“We need to make sure these sites are continually funded at the highest levels possible – so I will fight tooth and nail to make sure this funding is included in the final appropriations bill for 2017.”