Area defense projects get committee OK

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Arlen Specter, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Bob Casey, the junior senator from Pennsylvania, has announced that the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has approved federal funding for several defense-related projects in Pennsylvania as contained in the Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Appropriations bill.

"I am pleased that my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee have recognized the valuable contribution these projects will make to our nation's defense," said Specter. "Pennsylvania is a top competitor for defense projects that create jobs and strengthen our economy and these funds will go far in supporting the brave men and women who serve our country."

The bill will now await action on the Senate floor and must be approved by the House of Representatives and the President of the United States before funding is final.

Funding has been approved for the following Pennsylvania defense projects:

- $6.5 million for Letterkenny Army Depot (LEAD) in Franklin County to develop and test a safe recover, reuse and recycle technology to demilitarize munitions in an environmentally friendly manner. LEAD, the largest employer in Franklin County, would use the funding to develop state-of-the-art procedures and demilitarize the munitions center's concentration of aging, multiple launched rocket systems. Currently, the only method available to do this is via open burn/open detonation.

- $3 million for JLG in Fulton County to procure the All Terrain Lifter Army System II which will serve as the army's next generation material handlers