With the stroke of a pen 0n May 10, 2018, the Trump Administration’s Secretary of Energy Rick Perry killed 988 jobs and the continued funding of the Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX) Fabrication Facility located at the Savannah River Nuclear Site in Aiken, South Carolina, and operated vendors under the auspices of the National Nuclear Security Administration. a semi-autonomous branch of the Department of Energy, to convert weapons-grade plutonium into fuel for nuclear plants and isotopes for medical use.
As a result, CB&I Project Services Group has announced that at least 874 employees have been issued layoff notices and Paris, France-based Orano Federal Services has indicated that they will be laying off 114 employees. The remaining employees will be engaged in concluding the operation and preserving the existing infrastructure.
The contract termination was predictable due to massive budget overruns and slipping completion timelines. Not to mention pledges to remove nuclear material from South Carolina. Secretary Perry wrote, “I confirm that the Department is committed to removing plutonium from South Carolina intended to be disposed of in the MOX facility. I certify that an alternative option for carrying out the plutonium disposition program for the same amount of plutonium intended to be disposed of in the MOX facility exists. Finally, I certify that the Department will work with the State of New Mexico to address the capacity issues related to the receipt of the full 34 metric tons at WIPP [Waste Isolation Pilot Plant].”
Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere ... are you wondering, Am I Next?