Tuesday, a group of community leaders from South Carolina and Georgia are making a trip to Washington, DC to address what they call a “betrayal of trust” by the Obama Administration.
About 40 community leaders from counties surrounding the Savannah River Nuclear Site plan to hold a press conference in Washington Wednesday to criticize the U.S. Department of Energy for not moving forward with a longtime plan to transfer nuclear waste from the Site to a complex in Nevada.
The leaders hope to persuade the D.O.E. to reverse its decision, either by persuasion or court ruling. Aiken County has filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to prevent the shutdown of the Yucca Mountain complex in Nevada. One of their complaints is that a panel that decided to close the Nevada location didn’t consult with those who live near sites like SRS first.
The state legislature and the state’s congressional delegation stand united against the closing of Yucca Mountain to other states. Another group of political and economic development entities ranging from the South Carolina House of Representatives to chambers of commerce and small towns near the Savannah River Site have adopted resolutions objecting to the Federal Government’s decision.
