Though it first planned to suspend the project starting in March, after receiving strong opposition from lawmakers and the state of South Carolina the Department of Energy yesterday committed to continuing construction of the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility through the end of Fiscal Year 2014. DOE said in its FY 2015 budget request last month that due to rising project costs it would immediately begin to put the facility into “cold standby.” But yesterday, National Nuclear Security Administration spokesman Josh McConaha said the agency “will communicate to the contractor, MOX Services, that we will continue with construction activities through 2014, retaining the key nuclear engineers and other highly-skilled workers that will be needed regardless of the path forward.” He added: “The NNSA intends to work with the contractor on a plan for placing the project in cold standby during FY 2015, and we are continuing our ongoing discussions with Congress as they review and evaluate the FY 2015 budget request.”
After DOE announced the suspension in March, South Carolina subsequently filed a lawsuit claiming that DOE’s move lacked Congressional approval. Numerous lawmakers, key among them Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), opposed DOE’s shutdown, citing as a key concern DOE’s use of FY 2014 funds that were appropriated for construction to shut down the project. “I thank the Secretary for reversing course. This is the right decision for the program, the Site, and the employees working on the program at SRS,” Graham said in a statement. “In the short term, this decision will save thousands of jobs. However, there is still a long, arduous fight ahead. The Secretary’s announcement does not change the fact the President’s FY15 budget submission to Congress places the MOX program in cold standby. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will work to ensure the Obama Administration’s FY15 budget request does not become a reality.”
The South Carolina Attorney General’s office is in discussions with the Department of Justice on whether the announcement will facilitate a resolution to the pending lawsuit. “This announcement from Senator Graham’s office is good news and will provide families in the Aiken area with much needed job security. However, this battle is far from over. Congress must now ensure this important program keeps moving forward,” South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a statement. MOX Services referred requests for comment to NNSA.
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