Future uncertain for SRS MOX plant

House bill provides no funding for nuclear conversion program

The Associated Press

AIKEN — The future of a program at the Savannah River Site that would take material from nuclear weapons and turn it into fuel for nuclear power plants is uncertain after the U.S. House approved an energy bill without money for the effort.

The program to convert the weapons-grade plutonium into mixed oxide fuel, or MOX, may still be funded by the U.S. Senate, which has yet to vote on the energy bill.

TheNational Nuclear Security Administration plans to continue to work to get the money for the MOX facility, spokeswoman Julianne Smith said.

“At this point it’s very early in the congressional process,” she said. “Things can change at any point, especially in Congress.”

Six years ago, the United States and Russia each agreed to dispose of 34 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium by converting it to fuel for use in commercial nuclear reactors. Duke Power wants to use the fuel in four of its reactors.

South Carolina agreed in 2002 to accept 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium at SRS if the U.S. Energy Department built a facility to convert the plutonium into fuel. At the same time, the United States agreed to help fund the construction of a similar MOX plant in Russia, meant to operate on a parallel track with the SRS plant.

Liability issues and Russia’s full-funding demands have delayed the construction of both plants, U.S. Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., has said.

The process could create commercial energy, reduce the amount of waste going to the Yucca Mountain waste storage site in Nevada and allow MOX fuels to be burned in nuclear reactors, said Rep. Gresham Barrett, R-S.C., whose district includes SRS, which is near Aiken.

“Plus, we’re making the country safer. It gets the weapons-grade plutonium in a fashion that cannot be used by terrorists,” Barrett said.

Joining Barrett to vote against the energy bill were Reps. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., Charlie Norwood, R-Ga., and others.