Gov. Henry McMaster (R) shared his recommendations regarding the Savannah River Site (SRS) settlement on Dec 10.
McMaster called on the General Assembly of South Carolina to invest a $525 million share of the settlement money and put it towards transformative education, infrastructure, workforce and economic development projects within the state, according to governor’s website.
“For over 70 years, SRS has contributed mightily to the economic prosperity of the state and to the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) — while the men and women working at SRS made even greater contributions to our nation’s national security — and played a key role in winning the Cold War. It is my belief that the communities surrounding SRS should be the prime beneficiaries of these settlement funds,” McMaster said, according to his website.
The new agreement will put an end to a years-long legal battle between the state of South Carolina and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) regarding both the removal and long-term storage of plutonium within the SRS. McMaster’s recommendations were carefully delegated through public meetings and rigorous collaboration with local elected officials and stakeholders of Aiken, Barnwell and the surrounding counties.
An agreement between South Carolina and the DOE was officially achieved in August of 2020, which saw a $600 million payment from the federal government given to the state, totaling $525 million after attorney fees, which can now be used for allocation by the General Assembly.
“These settlement funds present us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. By making big, bold and transformative investments in the areas of education, infrastructure, workforce and economic development, we can quite literally change the future of the region and the state,” McMaster said, according to his website.
The remaining dollars that are not allocated in the governor’s recommendations are to be placed in reserves to meet future needs.
