Meanwhile, Plutonium shipments to Savannah River Site have been put on hold while DOE formulates a disposal plan

Aug. 27, 2001 - An August 21, 2001 New York Times report says the plan to convert weapons-grade plutonium into plutonium-based MOX to burn as fuel at Duke Energy's McGuire and Catawba Nuclear Reactors is likely to be abandoned by the Bush Administration. This according to government insiders familiar with the project.

Under the plan, MOX fuel would be manufactured at a new facility yet to be constructed at the Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina and then burned starting in 2007 at both the Catawba Nuclear Station near York, S.C.and the McGuire Station near Huntersville, N.C.

The Times report says that "officials deny that the program is dead, but acknowledge that it has difficulties, primarily financial ones." The project is under review, but no decisions have been made, according to an official.

Documents obtained last week by the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League indicate that funding for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Plutonium/MOX fuel program contract is nearly exhausted.

According to Modification 13 of its contract with Duke Cogema Stone & Webster (DCS), DOE has already obligated eight-six percent (86%) of the total estimated cost for contract performance. BREDL estimates that 77-80% of the "cost-plus-fixed-fee" is obligated through this fiscal year, suggesting the possibility of unexpected future liabilities for DCS.

"Canceling MOX is a great idea, because it's a boondoggle, and it has been from day one," said Don Moniak, a community organizer with BREDL.

Meanwhile, plutonium shipments to Savannah River Site (SRS) have been put on hold while the DOE formulates a plan to dispose of the plutonium outside of South Carolina.

This could also be viewed as somewhat disingenous, since Rocky Flats (Colorado) is not ready to ship anyway and may not even have a shipment by October.

Sources say the Department of Energy will delay indefinitely shipments of plutonium to the Savannah River Site, according to an August 25, 2001 story in The State.

The federal government had been scheduled to start shipping plutonium from outdated nuclear weapons to SRS in October.

But only Rocky Flats plutonium at first, others must wait until there are disposition facilities, and even Hanford (Washington) is upgrading its plutonium storage capabilities at this time.

South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges became concerned when no exit plan for the plutonium was presented. Governor Hodges feared that the plutonium would be permanently stored in South Carolina. Recently, he directed South Carolina public safety officials to hold training exercises to block plutonium shipments from entering the state.

At the close of the Cold War both the United States and Russia possess a toxic legacy comprised of 50 tons of so-called surplus plutonium from dismantled nuclear warheads.

On December 22, 1998 former United States Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson announced the selection of South Carolina’s Savannah River Site complex as the preferred site for a plutonium disassembly and conversion facility. The new plant would take plutonium "pits" from existing warheads and convert them into a form usable in commercial nuclear power reactors.

Reactors chosen to burn the MOX fuel included Catawba Nuclear Station near York, S.C.; the McGuire Station near Huntersville, N.C.; and the North Anna Power Station near Mineral, Va. In April 2000, Virginia Power announced it was dropping its plans to burn plutonium fuel at its North Anna Plant after Dominion Resources, the parent company of Virginia Power, merged with Consolidated Natural Gas Co. of Pittsburgh .

The "original" plan was to ship 33 metric tons to SRS and transform it into MOX to power nuclear reactors. Another 17 metric tons would be immobilized in glass containers and eventually buried, supposedly in Nevada. Today there is less than 40 metric tons being considered for disposition.

According to an August 22, 2001 story in The Herald, Duke Cogema Stone & Webster are proceeding with their plan to convert the weapons-grade plutonium into MOX to be burned at the Catawba and McGuire reactors. DOE selected the private companies of DCS in March of 1999 to carry out the DOE weapons conversion plan.

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more info:

Aug. 30, 2001: Groups Warn South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges not to fall for MOX. Press Release

Aug. 23, 2001: PLUTONIUM FUEL FUNDING NEARLY EXHAUSTED , BAD COST ESTIMATES PLAGUE PROGRAM - Documents obtained this week by the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) indicate that funding for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Plutonium/MOX fuel program contract is nearly exhausted. BREDL Press Release , Plutonium Fuel Factory facts

Southern Anti-Plutonium Campaign