The impacts of prolonged sequestration funding cuts at the Savannah River Site could include a curtailment of missions at the H-Canyon facility, a halt of waste shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and a shutdown of other projects, according to a presentation given Thursday by the Department of Energy Savannah River Site Manager Dave Moody. DOE Savannah River has sent a formal reprogramming request to DOE headquarters as there is “presently no flexibility to manage [sequestration] impacts to workforce and work scope,” states the presentation to the South Carolina Governor’s Nuclear Advisory Council.
In addition to previously reported worker furloughs totaling about 2,000 contractor employees, a number of project impacts are anticipated. In April and May, H-Canyon operating would be reduced, impacting missions such as processing of used nuclear fuel, plutonium and planned receipt of highly-enriched uranium from Canada. It would also slow down risk reduction activities at the 235-F building. If sequestration were to last through the summer, impacts from June to September could include a shutdown in the H, K and L areas and SRNL activities, limited waste receipts and no additional shipments to WIPP. The presentation notes, “in the interim continue to work at hand and positioning ourselves for future.” DOE did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
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