Georgia Nets $40M for Energy Upgrades

Federal officials say Georgia will receive $32.9 million in federal funds to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects across the state. The grant, announced Monday, is part of the nearly $82.5 million the department will award Georgia under the Federal-State Energy Program. Georgia's proposal for the money outlined plans for increasing the use of renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Department of Energy says the state will receive more than $41 million in additional funding upon demonstrating successful implementation of that plan.

(Associated Press)

Federal Government Considers Savannah River Site Near Augusta for Mercury Storage

The federal government is considering the Savannah River Site near Augusta, along with six other sites, for the storage of more than 10,000 metric tons of mercury.

Officials are searching for a site to store the mercury, as federal law will ban the sale or export of the element by 2013, and require the federal government to store it.

Mercury is produced in the manufacturing of caustic soda and chlorine at a handful of plants in the U.S. It's also a by-product in gold mining, and in recycling and waste recovery.

Mercury is controversial, since it causes developmental disabilities in children, and also harm fetal development.

It's already a sore spot in Augusta, where environmental groups have been calling for the Olin Corporation to stop using the element in the manufacture of chlorine. A bill in Congress also seeks to eliminate mercury from the few chlorine plants that still use it. Olin, meanwhile, has maintained that is mercury use its safe.

The Savannah River Site is a massive federal entity that processes nuclear materials near Augusta.

The U.S. Department of Energy, meanwhile, will hold a public comment period on the proposal to store mercury. There will be a public meeting in North Augusta, South Carolina on July 30.

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Energy plant at Savannah River Site to use recycled wood

The U.S. Department of Energy is replacing an old coal-fired plant at a site near Augusta that processes nuclear materials.

The project is one of the largest energy improvement projects within the federal agency.

The plant will provide energy to the Savannah River National Laboratory…a technological research and development facility near Augusta.

The fuel will come from wood chips collected from forest management activities at the Savannah River Site, which processes nuclear materials.

Officials say the energy is cleaner and cheaper, saving about $1.5 million a year.

"The cost savings comes through the operations of the plant, requiring inexpensive wood chips versus coal, reduced emissions and it’s going to be a smaller plant," says James Giusti, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Energy.

The project replaces a coal-fired plant built in 1951.

Officials expect operation of the new plant to begin by autumn.

New company to manage Savannah River Site

The U.S. Department of Energy has selected a new contractor to manage a federal site that processes nuclear materials near Augusta.

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions will take over management of the site during a transition period beginning Jan. 24, according to D.O.E. officials. The company consists of Fluor Federal Services, Inc., Honeywell International, Inc. and Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, a Northrup Grumman Company. Lockheed Martin Services, Inc., and Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc., will also be subcontractors with the company.

The D.O.E. officials say a variety of factors, such as approaches to management and technical operations, as well as the management team itself, led to the decision.

The company won a five-year $4 billion contract over the Washington Savannah River Company, who has managed the site for 19 years.

The contract includes environmental cleanup, consisting of the management of spent nuclear fuel and remediation of soil and ground water. It will also manage operation of the Savannah River National Laboratory research facility and activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration, such as operation of the site's tritium facilities, completion of the plutonium disposition program and disposition of highly enriched uranium, according to a statement by the D.O.E.

"We and our partners had put together what we thought was a novel and creative proposal and a similar exceptional team that has a proven record of performance in all the areas critical to the site," said Jack Herman, a spokesman for Washington Group International.

The management and operations division of the Savannah River Site employs about 6500 people.

But only about 60-100 high level management employees will lose their jobs, according to stipulations in the federal contract.

Washington Savannah River Group still manages the disposition of liquid waste at the site.

But it's currently in a contract bidding process for that operation as well.