Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition.

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Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Mike Simpson for his leadership.

I rise today in opposition to the amendment and in support of the mixed oxide fuel fabrication facility, or the MOX project, which is located at the Savannah River site in Aiken and Barnwell, South Carolina, adjacent to Augusta, Georgia.

I support the facility for a very simple reason. It is the only viable method of permanently disposing of weapons-grade plutonium and turning it into green fuel for nuclear reactors.

Furthermore, it is the only means of upholding our nuclear nonproliferation agreement with the Russian Federation. I say so with the background of myself having served as the Deputy General Counsel of the Department of Energy and the only person currently serving in Congress who has ever worked at the Savannah River site.

The citizens of South Carolina accepted nuclear waste under the pledge by the Department of Energy that there would be a facility to process and remove the plutonium. After years of empty promises, the actions by this administration to close MOX with no viable alternative makes South Carolina a repository for nuclear waste, putting the people of South Carolina and Georgia at risk.

The facility is nearly 70 percent completed. There has been a shortsighted decision to terminate the MOX project without appropriate considerations. The administration has failed to complete a rebaselining of the MOX project, as required by law.

The administration has failed to consult key partners, including the EPA or the State of New Mexico as a receiving location. The administration cannot definitely state that the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant has the capacity for 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium or even if it will reopen.

The administration has failed to communicate with Russia about the plan to close MOX, causing Vladimir Putin to not attend the recent nuclear summit in Washington. Putin himself stated:

``This is not what we agreed on.

``But serious issues, especially with regard to nuclear arms, are quite a different matter and one should be able to meet one's obligations.''

MOX is a proven technology. It has worked overseas. It is crucial for our national security, and any decision to halt or alter its mission should only be carried out after a thorough and careful evaluation.

I urge my colleagues to support MOX, to stand up for our national security initiatives, to support the only viable alternative for plutonium disposition, and to reject the amendment.

I am grateful that today the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has issued a letter in support of MOX:

``The Chamber opposes any efforts to reduce funding for National Nuclear Security Administration's mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel facility at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site. This project is critical to honoring the United States' Plutonium Disposition Protocol and the advancement of domestic nuclear fuel production.''

I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Will the gentleman yield?

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Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Chair, usually Congressman Garamendi and I agree on issues like small monitor reactors.

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