Lawmakers challenged Energy Secretary Rick Perry on Tuesday to commit resolving the issues that are preventing Congress from taking a definitive stance on the future of the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility in South Carolina.
Perry reaffirmed the Energy Department’s stance on MOX during a House Appropriations energy and water subcommittee budget hearing, saying “there is a better, there is a cheaper, there is a proven way to dispose of plutonium” – the dilute and dispose alternative DOE has proposed instead of finishing construction of the facility meant to dispose of 34 metric tons of excess weapon-usable plutonium.
“Before we walk away from something we’re in the middle of, we ought to have the plan to move forward and be sure that we can do it,” subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) said, calling for an “honest cost comparison” and “honest assessment” of the status of construction of the facility/
While project contractor CB&I AREVA MOX Services says the plant is 70 percent complete, the Energy Department places progress at roughly 40 percent. Construction costs are also disputed, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates the facility will cost $17.2 billion to complete by 2048, while the contractor says it will be $10 billion by 2029. The department has spent about $5 billion on the project to date.
Simpson said resolving these discrepancies is necessary before proceeding with any plutonium disposal plan. He said he worries about potential bureaucratic hurdles a decade from now, which might involve New Mexico’s acceptance of diluted plutonium at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, or something like South Carolina’s ongoing litigation against the Energy Department over removing plutonium from its state.
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) said during the hearing that Congress should not waste any more money locked in a stalemate with the administration over this issue. He asked for a commitment that the Energy Department will resolve the cost and regulatory issues to better inform congressional funding decisions on MOX.
“That is what we are intending to do,” Perry said in response. Ultimately, he said, “I cannot in good faith say that going forward with that program is wise.”
The administration’s fiscal 2018 budget proposal would direct $270 million toward termination of MOX and another $9 million to pursue the alternative approach.
Perry during the hearing also reaffirmed the Energy Department’s commitment to meeting cost and schedule targets for construction of the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex.
“The commitment is contingent on predictable and stable appropriations, as requested in the budget,” he said, noting that the project is still on time and within budget. The National Nuclear Security Administration has confirmed that the project is set for completion by 2025 at a cost of no more than $6.5 billion.
