In a budget proposal Wednesday, the Obama administration said it will explore alternatives to the Savannah River Site's MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility and proposed a $133 million cut to the project's budget.
Within the Department of Energy section of the 2014 budget proposal sent to Congress, the document states, " This current plutonium disposition approach may be unaffordable … due to cost growth and fiscal pressure." It goes on to say the administration will look at other strategies for disposing of weapons-grade plutonium, while remaining committed to an agreement with Russia to reduce the U.S. stockpile by 34 metric tons.
The Augusta Chronicle noted that the proposed budget cut for 2014 amounts to 29 percent of the project's funding for 2013. The budget also proposes a cut of 8.4 percent to other cleanup and processing projects at the Savannah River Site.