SEN. GRAHAM FIRES BACK AT AD LAMPOONING MOX SUPPORT

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is taking exception to a negative TV ad lampooning his support for the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility. The ad sponsored by Friends of the Earth, which can be seen here, calls the MOX plant “Graham’s South Carolina plutonium fuel boondoggle,” and claims the project led by construction contractor Shaw AREVA MOX Services is “sending tax dollars overseas.” It is running in Washington, DC, and South Carolina markets, and comes as the House takes up Energy and Water appropriations, which includes the MOX plant. "We wanted to call out Senator Graham’s determination to continue uncontrolled spending on a project that is $6 billion over budget, behind schedule and has no future market for its product," Tom Clements of Friends of the Earth said in a statement.

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The MOX project is part of the U.S. strategy for disposition of surplus plutonium under a treaty with Russia by converting it into fuel for nuclear reactors, but has come under fire for cost increases and is currently undergoing an evaluation by the Department of Energy of possible alternatives. Yesterday Graham shot back at the ad. "Friends of the Earth is no friend to South Carolina,” he said in a statement. “The Department of Energy made a commitment to South Carolina on plutonium disposition and they have a responsibility to live up to their end of the deal. Unfortunately, President Obama seems intent on reneging on this valuable program which takes tons of weapons-grade plutonium, enough to make 17,000 nuclear warheads, off the market.

Meanwhile, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) reacted to President Obama’s goal of further nuclear stockpile reductions with a call for support for MOX.  “The President talks out of both sides of his mouth, offering empty ‘feel good’ promises… The fact that he calls for new measures when he has actively tried to stall efforts to meet our current international obligations is misleading,” he said in a statement, adding, “I encourage the President to begin practicing what he preaches. If he does, in fact, want the United States to continue cleaning up our nuclear weapons supply, he must support the MOX project.”

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