With the idea of converting the unfinished MOX facility into a manufacturing plant for nuclear weapons components, Energy Secretary Rick Perry on May 10 waived the requirement to use funds on construction and related support activities for the massively over-budget project at Savannah River Site in South Carolina.
Perry’s waiver hasn’t killed the project yet, but is the most serious threat to do so, numerous sources tell ENR. The waiver was made through a new authority Congress granted to the Dept. of Energy under the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).