Appropriations are one part of a complex federal budget process that includes budget resolutions, appropriations (regular, supplemental, and continuing) bills, rescissions, and budget reconciliation bills. This report is a guide to one of the 13 regular appropriations bills that Congress passes each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Legislative Branch Appropriations.

The Waste Information Requirements Document (WIRD) has the following purposes: To describe the overall drivers that require characterization information and to document their source; To define how characterization is going to satisfy the drivers, close issues, and measure and report progress; and To describe deliverables and acceptance criteria for characterization. Characterization information is required to maintain regulatory compliance, perform operations and maintenance, resolve safety issues, and prepare for disposal of waste. Commitments addressing these requirements are derived from the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, also known as the Tri-Party Agreement; the Recommendation 93-5 Implementation Plan (DOE-RL 1996a) to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB); and other requirement sources listed in Section 2.0. The Waste Information Requirements Document replaces the tank waste analysis plans and the tank characterization plan previously required by the Tri-Party Agreement, Milestone M-44-01 and M-44-02 series.