By Jerry Bellune
JerryBellune@yahoo.com
Savannah River Site observers have condemned plans to send more nuclear warhead plutonium here.
Savannah River Watch Director Tom Clements called a final Environmental Impact Statement on the plans "more of a promotional document than a serious analysis of the need for the facility and its environmental and health impact."
The Savannah River Site is 45 minutes fron Lexington County and employs many local residents.

Clements said the statement was quietly released by the US Department of Energy Sept. 24 without publicity.
 He said the document contains a "cursory review" of production of up to 125 plutonium pits a year in the SRS building previously designed to make plutonium fuel (MOX).
The "mismanaged MOX project was terminated in 2018 after a waste of $8 billion," he said. 
The pits would go to at least 2 new, controversial warheads - W87-1 and W93 - if Congress allows it for about 2,500 existing nuclear weapons, Clements said.  
"This number of weapons is designed to fight a nuclear war and is not a deterrent force.
"DOE claims that pit production at SRS would start by 2030 but this will likely be impossible.
 “The analysis fails to demonstrate that residents of South Carolina and Georgia will be adequately protected from accidents involving plutonium,” he said.

“South Carolina is set to receive around 7.5 metric tons of plutonium to be processed into pits
"What happens if some of that plutonium ends up being stranded at SRS if the project were to start and then cease operation?” 
SRS already stores 11.5 metric tons of plutonium.
It is to be removed but is moving slowly and has not been adequately funded by Congress. 
"Bringing in more plutonium while SRS still has a stockpile of plutonium is unacceptable," Clements saidd.
 "South Carolina citizens must take action to block this unwelcome eventuality.”

The Chronicle has asked Congressman Joe Wilson, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Gov. Henry McMaster and SC Attorney General Alan Wilson for their view on this development. 
They have been working to get federal officials to move SRS nuclear material elsewhere.