*** October 13: When will the lid be blown off the MOX boondoggle and cover-up of construction problems and inspection irregularities? Rumors continue about construction problems and “re-work” issues at the MOX plant construction site. NNSA has now stated that there is a stunning 25% “reinstallation” rate at the MOX plant so keep a close eye on developments as chaos at the project seems to be deepening. Please continue to come forward with information about construction and inspection problems, which will be kept in confidence: srswatch@gmail.com. ***
Congressional Hearing on Failed MOX Project – October 7, 2015, 3:30 p.m. Eastern
“PLUTONIUM DISPOSITION AND THE MOX PROJECT”
Hearing Report: Wow, the MOX project was essentially demolished at the hearing. DOE officials stood by the fact that MOX is not viable at the current funding level of $345 million/year and that the life-cycle cost is $30 billion to $50 billion. As SRS Watch has been saying for well over a year, it came out that many things (such as piping and cable trays) already installed in the MOX plant will have to be ripped out and reinstalled. DOE testified that 25% of equipment installed will have to be “reworked!!!” There was nothing said about where investigations stand into improper signing off on work orders for improper installation but stay tuned on that front.
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-South Carolina), top MOX booster, appeared to have almost given up and essentially had no allies in his pro-MOX cause. He could only make the unsubstantiated claim that the MOX plant is 70% complete – DOE countered and said it’s 35% to 41% complete and – and invited members to come tour the MOX plant and play a round of gold at Augusta National. As usual, Wilson could present no path forward for any aspect of the MOX boondoggle, which is slowly going down the drain.
Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) and Rep. Jeff Fortenberrry (R-NB) told it like it is – that we are wasting money on inability to go ahead and terminate this mismanaged program. Rep. Cooper rightfully called the subject of the hearing (MOX) “a horror story for the American taxpayer.” Our usual prediction still holds: One day soon the big spenders like Rep. Wilson and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) will lose their fight to keep funneling our money into the pockets of CB&I AREVA MOX Services.
As DOE’s MacWilliams said, spending $345 million/year on MOX has bought “NOTHING.” Let’s hear a big MOX OINK for this failed project!
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House Armed Services, Subcommittee on Strategic Forces (Committee on Armed Services)
2118 RHOB
Washington, D.C.
Oct 07 2015 3:30 PM
hearing website – to be webcast linked here:
“Plutonium Disposition and the MOX Project”
Witnesses:
The Honorable Frank G. Klotz
Administrator
National Nuclear Security Administration
Mr. John J. MacWilliams
Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Energy
U.S. Department of Energy
Dr. Thom Mason
Director
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
At the hearing, will MOX plant construction problem be fully reviewed? Due to waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement, this matter, which SRS Watch has been raising for well over a year, needs a full investigation. See SRS Watch UPDATE of April 9, 2015 for information about some construction problems: http://tinyurl.com/lsgkxfa
The NRC has been alerted about MOX plant construction problems but refuses to inspect or investigate. You can see that SRS Watch has flagged this issue to the NRC in a January 2015 meeting and that the NRC has taken a big dodge on this troubling and potentially criminal matter:
1. SRS Watch statement of MOX problems, January 15, 2015
2. NRC response to SRS questions
3. NRC letter to SRS Watch, April 1, 2015
Rumor is that CB&I investigated itself about improper signing off on MOX plant construction work orders. But has the DOE’s Inspector General or GAO or police authorities investigated? If you know more about MOX plant construction problems, please email SRS Watch: srswatch@gmail.com. We will make sure that the information is passed on and that confidentiality is protected.
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In “Continuing Resolution” (CR) of September 30, Congress to Continue to Fund the MOX Boondoggle at a Shut-Down Level
On October 1, a new U.S. Government fiscal year (Fiscal Year 2016) began and a “continuing resolution” passed by Congress will fund DOE programs into mid-December. The mismanaged MOX construction project will be funded at a proportion of the amount it has received in Fiscal Year 2015, which was a total $345 million. Congress will thus keep the MOX project on an unofficial shutdown track. For the year, $345 million is not enough to keep the project viable but that’s also the shut-down level of funding being discussed for Fiscal Year 2106 (which begins on October 1, 2015).
Next, the fight between big spenders – such as Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) – and fiscal conservatives will be for MOX funding in a FY 2016 “omnibus” spending bill (through September 2016), or perhaps another CR. Given the reality as shown in various DOE studies that MOX is not viable, Senator Graham will be in a desperate fight to continue funneling our money to the MOX contractor – CB&I AREVA MOX Services and to save it from official shutdown. Likewise, Graham will continue efforts to keep DOE, NNSA and CB&I AREVA MOX $ervices from being held accountable for the massive waste caused by those who have run the project into the ditch.
As DOE’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget requested is already being pulled together and likely to be released in February 2016, MOX and contractors profiting from the boondoggle could face an official shutdown intent by DOE.
While fiscal conservatives and non-proliferation experts await official termination of the failed MOX program, rumors have circulated that MOX could be shut down soon. SRS Watch places no credibility in these rumors but does encourage DOE to begin taking action to close out the MOX debacle. Additionally, DOE must promptly remove CB&I AREVA MOX Services from the project due to poor performance, massive over spending and big schedule delays.