S.C. Lawmaker ‘Encouraged’ by MOX Budget Request

The Obama Administration’s decision Monday to continue with construction on the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility at the Savannah River Site in Fiscal Year 2016 was met with praise from Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who was among the lawmakers that fought against the Administration’s decision to put the project into cold standby a year ago. “I am encouraged to see that the President’s budget reflects the will of Congress to move forward with construction of the MOX facility,” Wilson said in a statement. “This facility is essential to our national security as it will allow the United States to honor its international nuclear nonproliferation obligations, while it also supports environmental cleanup within the Palmetto state.”

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz called the $345 million Fiscal Year 2016 MOX budget request a “continuation” budget that would allow construction to continue—albeit slower than project officials would like—while analyses of the nation’s plutonium disposition options are completed. Like Wilson, David Del Vecchio, the president of MOX contractor CB&I AREVA MOX Services LLC, called the budget request “encouraging” in a message to employees yesterday. “Although the new budget request does provide us more confidence in moving forward without the threat of being placed into ‘cold standby,” we still have a number of challenges ahead to finish the job,” Del Vecchio said.