Graham pleased with SRS Funding in Year-End Spending Bill

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) said he was pleased with the funding provided for Savannah River Site (SRS) in the year-end spending bill, also termed the CR/Omnibus, which will fund most federal agencies through the end of FY 2015 and include a short-term spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security. Graham said funding for the Site includes language that prohibits the Department of Energy (DOE) from putting the MOX program in ‘cold-standby’, $345 Million for continued construction of the MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility, $547 Million for Tank Cleanup and $135 Million for Salt Waste. “When the President submitted his budget request to Congress this year, he proposed a short-sighted plan that would in effect shutter MOX while other options were studied,” said Graham. “I am proud that we were able to overcome this misguided effort and secure the additional funding and authority to continue construction of the MOX facility. In next year’s budget request, I hope, and expect, to see a greater commitment from DOE to the state of South Carolina on MOX and the cleanup program. The Administration and DOE need to make the cleanup and operations at SRS a priority,” continued Graham. “While we were able to meet the funding request for tank cleanup efforts at the site, we need to do better. The Administration’s plan will cause DOE to miss every tank cleanup milestone they agreed to with South Carolina.”