Congressional advocates of the Savannah River Site’s controversial plutonium disposition project, known as MOX, are unfazed by reports that President Donald Trump intends to significant reduce the Department of Energy budget, saying it’s too early to predict how Trump will handle the project.
Multiple news outlets this month reported details of apparent Trump administration plans to slash spending across the federal government, The Hill newspaper reported Jan. 19 specifically that the Energy and Commerce departments “would see major reductions in funding, with programs under their jurisdiction either being eliminated or transferred to other agencies.”
The funding issue could be of concern to MOX supporters, as the project was already on the chopping block under former President Barack Obama. The still-unfinished Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) at SRS would be used to carry out the federal government’s commitment to a 2000 U.S.-Russian agreement that requires each country to dispose of 34 metric tons of nuclear weapon-usable plutonium.
The Trump administration has not officially stated which DOE projects would lose funding, which is why U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) is treading lightly when speaking about how it might impact MOX and other missions at SRS. Leacy Burke, Wilson’s spokeswoman, said the congressman believes Energy Secretary-designate Rick Perry will bring a “business-minded approach” to the DOE budget. “Based on the percent of completion and lack of a viable alternative, Rep. Wilson is optimistic about the future of MOX under President Trump,” she said, adding that the lawmaker won’t speculate on what the reports of budget cuts will mean for specific projects.
U.S. Sens. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham, both Republicans from South Carolina, are also stopping short of predicting what a MOX budget line, or lack thereof, might look like under Trump. Scott, meanwhile, has had preliminary conversations about MOX with members of the Trump administration, said spokesman Sean Smith. “But without a budget document from the White House, OMB Director, Secretary of Energy, NNSA Director or multitude of other positions formally in place, it would be premature for us to comment further,” he said.
