PROGRAM’S COST ESTIMATE DOUBLES …
|| By FITSNEWS || Last February, this website broke the news that U.S. president Barack Obama‘s administration was planning to shut down the mixed oxide fuel (a.k.a. “MOX”) program at the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, S.C.
Apoplexy ensued, but we maintain this was the correct decision.
The MOX facility was supposed to have been completed in 2007 at a cost of $1.6 billion – but nearly $4 billion later it still hasn’t been finished, and the total tab for the project now exceeds $10 billion (oh, and there’s a report on the cost overruns associated with this project that will make your blood boil).
The latest news?
According to a new U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) report, the $400 million annual cost of maintaining this program is “inadequate.”
How much are they saying it will take? Twice that – a whopping $800 million.
“If the MOX pathway is to be successful, then annual funding for the whole program would have to increase from the current $400 million per year to $700 to 800 million per year over the next 2-3 years,” the report concluded.
The government’s MOX facility was supposed to turn weapons grade plutonium into fuel for nuclear reactors – but it’s taken so long to get up and running that its intended purpose is on the verge of becoming antiquated.
We’ve consistently argued that the project should be abandoned – although “pro-jobs” politicians of both parties in South Carolina have argued in favor of continuing to fund it.
Among them? S.C. governor Nikki Haley, who hasn’t always viewed the workers filling these positions in the highest esteem.
“Down on River Site, they were hiring a few hundred people, and when we sat down and talked to them … they said of everybody they interviewed, half of them failed a drug test, and of the half that was left, of that 50 percent, the other half couldn’t read and write properly,” Haley told a group of Lexington County, S.C. Rotarians in September 2011.
Challenged to provide documentation for this bizarre claim, Haley initially vowed to do so … but later backed down completely.
Bottom line? This program is a multi-billion dollar money pit that needs to be completely abandoned.
32 comments
“..half of them failed a drug test..”
“..the other half couldn’t read and write..”
Appears that most of the applicants were Democrat constituents.
“The government’s MOX facility was supposed to turn weapons grade plutonium into fuel for nuclear reactors.”
No, it was supposed to turn a government funded program into personal wealth for a few politicians and their supporters.
Appears they met all the requirements.
Wrong,wrong erneba. Or should I just say BULL SHIT. Democrat constitutes I think not. This is a republican boondoggle with Graham, Scott, Wilson, Duncan, Gowdey and all the other of “our” representatives keeping this place opened. You even contadicted yourself, “it was supposed to turn a government funded program into personal wealth for a few politicians and their supporters.” Well the politicians are the above mentioned.
Even my dumbass wouldn’t of walked into that one.
Your dumbass needs a lesson in reading comprehension.
It’s Bush’s fault. That covers everything from the War for Southern Independence to WWIV at least. LOL
And they know it because someone told them. They sure as hell did not try to read that somewhere, they could not understand it.
As I’ve said many times the Iraq war set the US back 20 years. Just have to get used to it.
The “Iraq war” shouldn’t have been fought at all. Gulf war One in 91 should have ended, not at the Iraq border but at the Turkish border. We had them down from the fiasco in the desert but stopped short of a complete victory. Bush 41 had Reagan’s army which made hash of the Iraqi military , then rated as the fourth biggest army in the world, but stupid people like Colin Powell said to stop. And wimpy 41 listened to him. Hussein had the WMDs in 91 just like he did in 03 but had time to rebuild his forces.
I agree, but they never were a threat. Sad we have to pay for 20 years and gained nothing. It wasn’t thought out very well, that’s my problem with the republican party. That’s why 2016 will be another loss.
You are confused…. the first part was about people applying for the jobs.. I think that is more than clear.
The second part did apply to current politicians, and yes sometimes I can be a non partisan Abuser.
Try calming down and re-reading my comment.
Come now erneba. Is this your way to cover up your inane comments? It’s not about someone’s reading comprehension, but how you wrote your dumbass comments. How the hell do you know that ” half of them failed a drug test”? The idea that I must calm down is ridiculous. I’m just laughing at your South Carolina ignorance, which is typical republican and uneducated who watches to much Fox News. The bottom line is the our Republican gang who “represents” South Carolina keeps this operation open. Kindly address that issue.
And HORROR OF HORROR’s, all the construction crafts are UNION!!!!!
Now how does NIMRATA sleep at night with THEM in HER state?
That is a very good question. I could never sleep knowing I screwed the people of SC over and over. She’s from the new ” Me ” generation. Maybe they sleep good, until the vindicator comes.
All I know – I like huntin’ two headed deer.
Folks thinks the project should be terminated, however, as usual, he provides no solution for the disposal of weapons grade plutonium. I guess he would just let the “free market” handle it. You know, sell it to Iran. Of course we could just do nothing as Pu 244 has a half life of about 80,000 million years. In no time it will just decay away.
Oops. that is 80 million years.
Half of of what Haley says is bullshit. The other half is bullshit to cover up all the other bullshit.
Half + half = COMPLETE BS
YOU BETCHAI CAN SEE THE 100 AREAS FROM MY HOUSE!
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One small correction to this article, MOX did not start construction until 2008, I wuz there.
“…The MOX facility was supposed to have been completed in 2007…”
The site was actually selected in 1999-2000, bickering over cost and contractors delayed it to 2004 and is partially responsible for the cost overruns. The fuel went to the Fukushima Daiichi reactor as part of the proof of principle…
You have a challenge issued you on the polar bear post that I assume you either missed or could not answer. Until you answer it, I’m not going to believe your shit anymore, you poser.
Must have missed it – believe what you want.
My gawd….n is the sample size. Didn’t you say you had stats? Yeah, I do know one person I will not believe.
dwb619 and Superfly my complements on your comments. Most incite full. This project is just hawgs at the troth for the neocons and tea baggers.
Sadly we should be using the Plutonium in Breeder Reactors to make more fuel and power at the same time. Of course Jimmy Carter in his less than infinite wisdom banned that because “proliferation” .
Same thing I have been saying since dumbass Carter stopped it.
This is heresy to all of the right-wing, fiscally conservative GOP’ers and Tea Party nuts in Aiken. Keep your government hands off of their government contractor jobs and related spending. They are as addicted to this gubment heroin same as crackheads in the hood.
YOU HIT THAT NAIL ON THE HEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Same bunch that retired from the prime contractor and hired back in as temps to suck up the “recovery” money.
Saw that also.
Make you wanna puke!
EFFIN” Carpetbaggers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The worst nightmare the employees and contractors at SRS ever could have is to think they wake up and the site is cleaned up and the waste stored safely.
Didn’t they once tear down a gigantic cooling tower that had never been used, all as as part of some scheme or another?
The cooling tower was for K Reactor. The Soviet Union broke up during the rebuild of 100K , negating the need for plutonium. Ergo, all the reactors were de-commissioned eventually.
Stop with the facts! You will never convince all the “learned” bystanders.