Four Republicans in the House of Representatives want Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to examine potential “unintended impacts” of staff losses at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina, where some employees plan to leave the site rather than get a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination.
The lawmakers’ question if DOE has thought through the “inevitable workforce loss” resulting from the mandate, which will result in the firing of vaccine refusers by Nov. 30. The operator of the 310-square mile complex, Fluor-led Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), last week instructed the unvaccinated employees who did not receive an exemption from the mandate to turn in their site-access badges..
The GOP House members question if the job losses will affect “our nation’s nuclear security and readiness.
“A significant number of the people we have heard from are part of the armed security on site,” according to the letter. “Is there a plan in place should there be a shortage of qualified security officers?”
The elected officials also inquired about any special plans being made for employees working “exclusively from home” and others nearing retirement age. The letter does not ask the DOE or the White House to withdraw the vaccination orders for Savannah River.
The letter was sent by Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.) and Rep. William Timmons IV (R-S.C.). Duncan tweeted a copy of the letter. The DOE did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the letter.
Meanwhile, roughly 75 unvaccinated workers have brought suit against SRNS in federal court seeking an injunction against the vaccine mandate and the firings that would result from its enforcement.
The DOE and its contractors are requiring all employees to be vaccinated over the next few weeks, or receive an exemption, under federal guidance growing out of executive orders from President Joe Biden on Sept. 9.
