The Energy Department’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina continued to do 22 “essential supporting activities” during a period of dramatically reduced operations forced by the COVID-19 pandemic during April and May, according to information provided to a local watchdog group.
Savannah River Site Watch Director Tom Clements said he received the list from a DOE lawyer in what appears to be a partial response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The request was filed shortly after SRS went into minimal operations in late March.
A few of the on-site chores identified by DOE include environmental monitoring, safely storing and monitoring radioactive waste, ensuring availability of dosimetry and radiological Instruments, maintaining biomass-fueled boiler facilities to generate electricity, and supporting recovery of fissile material from Savannah River nuclear reactors and other domestic and foreign research reactors.
Certain research projects at the Savannah River National Laboratory also continued, such as the Atmospheric Technologies Center’s meteorological monitoring program.
A wide range of security services were not interrupted, including cybersecurity, emergency services, physical security at nuclear facilities, and command and control functions. Medical services remained available.
The list also cites tasks that could be performed off-site. They include design work, information technology, and financial management.
Generally, there are about 11,000 federal and contract employees at Savannah River, and probably one-third have remained on-site during the last couple months, sources said. Last week, the Energy Department announced the Savannah River Site was starting the process of gradually bringing back key employees, as well as those that perform work requiring little interaction with other people.
