SRS starts laying off 177 employees

By PHILIP LORD Senior writer

The first of an expected 177 pink slips were delivered to employees at the Savannah River Site Wednesday who are being laid off.

"We have begun," Westinghouse Savannah River Company spokesman Will Callicott said. "We hope to have this done, this phase of the restructuring plan, by the end of this week."

Those laid off Wednesday were escorted from their offices almost immediately and will remain on the WSRC payroll for the next 60 days, Callicott said.

The involuntary separations follow 622 employees who decided to voluntarily leave the company.

Those departing the nuclear reservation, either by choice or force, will receive one weeks pay for each week of service, up to 26 years. They will also maintain their benefits package, at current rates, for one year.

Later this fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30, WSRC expects to lay off an additional 300 people, according to a business restructuring plan approved by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Next fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1, WSRC anticipates an additional 600 to 800 layoffs.

The layoffs are the result of accelerated cleanup at the Cold War era site, which produced nuclear materials for the nation's defense.

Through the accelerated cleanup program, WSRC is closing out areas of the site, which reduces the number of people required for missions.

Recently, WSRC celebrated the closure of F Area, which at one time employed some 700 people.

Delays in starting up a Mixed Oxide Fuel fabrication facility, which has been approved for construction, and the selection of a site for a planned Modern Pit Facility have also added to the layoffs, according to officials in Washington, D.C.

Contact Philip Lord at plord@aikenstandard.com.

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