SRS Watch news – October 27, 2015 – linked here
Failure of MOX Project at the Savannah River Site Legally Mandates DOE to Begin Removal of 1 Metric Ton of Weapons Plutonium from South Carolina by January 1, 2016 or Face $1 Million/Day in Fines
In Reality, the Plutonium-Removal Law is a Farce Used by Senator Lindsey Graham to Hold South Carolina Hostage to the Failed MOX Project & Endless Storage of 12.8 Metric Tons of Plutonium at SRS
Plans for Plutonium Shipments from Los Alamos in New Mexico to SRS Must be Suspended
Columbia, SC – Due to the failure of the plutonium fuel (MOX) project at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, the U.S. Department of Energy will soon be obligated to remove 1 metric ton (2200 pounds) of surplus weapon-grade plutonium now stored at SRS and send it to storage outside of South Carolina.
Under the “Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003,” as amended, the failure of the plutonium fuel (MOX) plant at SRS to operate as of January 1, 2014, legally necessitates the removal of “not less than 1 metric ton” of plutonium “for storage or disposal elsewhere” not later than January 1, 2016.
Likewise, if the legally mandated MOX production objective is not achieved as of January 1, 2016, the Secretary of Energy “shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, pay to the State of South Carolina each year beginning on or after that date through 2021 for economic and impact assistance an amount equal to $1,000,000 per day…”
Despite the language on removal of the plutonium, the law has a number requirements to be met before the off-site shipment can take place. According to the public interest group Savannah River Site Watch, DOE has made a mockery of the law by ignoring mandated provisions in it.
“Savannah River Site Watch strongly supports the legal requirement that the plutonium be removed from South Carolina but DOE has made a farce of the law by refusing to meet obligations in it,” said Tom Clements, director of SRS Watch. “DOE must not be allowed to leave plutonium in South Carolina forever due to its total failure to carry out the MOX project. DOE has but two choices in front of it: remove the plutonium and pay the $1 million per day fine or cancel the grossly mismanaged MOX program by January 1, 2016 and pursue disposal of plutonium as waste.”