Letter supporting Brookhaven National Laboratory and Increased DOE Funding for Ion Collider

February 7, 2013

Dr. Steven Chu                                                     Jeffrey Zients, Deputy Director for Management
Secretary of Energy                                             Office of Management and Budget
U.S. Department of Energy                                The Office of Management and Budget
1000 Independence Ave., SW                           725 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20585                                      Washington, DC 20503

Dear Secretary Chu and Acting Director Zients:

The Long Island Association (LIA), one of the leading business organizations in New York State, is a strong supporter of Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). BNL is a world-class research institution that plays a critical role in Long Island''s economy. As both our region and the entire country continue to build an innovation economy, the federal government must continue to invest in the lab, its research and its workforce.

It was therefore very troubling to read media reports that a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and National Science Foundation advisory committee issued a report finding that under a flat funding or declining budget scenario BNL''s ion collider would need to close (which would lead to the loss of approximately 800 jobs). However, the committee also recommended that this could be avoided with a modest annual increase in the DOE''s Nuclear Physics budget.

BNL has produced excellent scientific and technological research to the United States, and seven Nobel Prizes have been awarded for discoveries made at the lab, as other countries increase their investments in order to compete with us, we need to remain on the cutting edge of nuclear physics and continue to support the DOE''s Office of Nuclear Physics. As part of your Fiscal Year 2014 budget request, I urge you to increase the office''s funding by $50 million above the FY 2013 request so that BNL can continue to thrive and keep Long Island the United States a leader in this field.

Although the federal government is addressing the issues of federal deficits and a struggling economy, this is precisely not the time we can allow our country to fall behind in scientific research. Brookhaven National Laboratory is an indispensable resource to our region and our country and it must be adequately funded. Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully Submitted, 

Kevin S. Law
President and CEO
Long Island Association

cc:       Senator Charles Schumer
            Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
            Congressman Peter King
            Congressman Steve Israel
            Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy
            Congressman Tim Bishop
            Doon Gibbs, Acting Director