Chu Wants Faster Action On Stimulus Money

H. JOSEF HEBERT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Energy Secretary Steven Chu on Thursday expressed dismay at the slow pace at which some members of his department are distributing money under the federal economic recovery plan, saying he's making phone calls to tell people "this cannot be business as usual."

The Energy Department has nearly $39 billion at its disposal under the economic recovery effort, but has awarded only $4.4 billion as of June 7, according to the department's web site. Only $94.7 million has been spent.

Chu, in an interview with The Associated Press, said Thursday that some parts of the department, including those involving environmental cleanup at Cold War-era nuclear sites are moving money out the door, but other people in the department "don't feel the sense of urgency that they should feel."

"I'm turning up the heat on those areas. ... I'm going to be making some phone calls in some of the areas where they don't appreciate this cannot be business as usual. It has to be quite a bit different," said Chu.

Earlier this week, President Barack Obama expressed his dissatisfaction with the progress being made in distributing money under his $787 billion economic recovery plan. The White House acknowledged it had spent only $44 billion, or 9 percent of the total not counting funds devoted to tax relief.