New Savannah River Site tritium finishing facility included in defense funding bill

• By Matthew Christian mchristian@aikenstandard.com
• June 29, 2023

It’s not a new mission but the Savannah River Site could be getting another new facility. 

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson said in a recent news release the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act as approved by the House Armed Forces Committee includes a deadline of Dec. 31, 2035 for constructing a new tritium finishing facility. 

The National Defense Authorization Act is one component of how the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy facilities serving the department receives funding. The act serves to recommend funding levels and establishes the policies as to how the funding will be spent. The funding is then allocated in spending bills. 

Tritium is a rare form of hydrogen. Specifically, tritium atoms have one proton and two neutrons as opposed to the traditional hydrogen atoms that have one proton and no neutrons and deuterium atoms which have one proton and one neutron. 

It is used to increase the power of nuclear weapons. Specifically, the fission reaction of plutonium in a nuclear weapon causes tritium to undergo the process of nuclear fusion. 

With a half-life of 12 years, tritium must be replaced in nuclear weapons every so often. And the Savannah River Site is the only location producing replacement tritium. 

Wilson said in the news release that the existing tritium finishing facility was constructed in the 1950s and establishing a deadline to replace the facility ensures funding and prevents any unnecessary delays. 

The NDAA allocates $37 million for the finishing facility’s construction. This funding was not included in the budget request submitted by President Joe Biden. 

A rejected amendment would have removed a deadline to begin production of plutonium pits – like tritium, the plutonium in nuclear weapons decays and must be replaced – at the Savannah River Site and Los Alamos National Laboratory. 

Wilson said he was grateful to vote against the amendment. 

“Moving them [the deadlines] would send the message that our deterrent capabilities are a lesser priority,” Wilson said. “I appreciate that the Republican-led committee reaffirmed this important capability and is focused on meeting current statutory timelines.” 

The NDAA also includes recommended funding levels for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, Savannah River Mission Completion and the Savannah River National Laboratory. 

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions is the manager and operator of the site.

Recommended funding includes over $1 billion in funding for the construction of the facility where the pits will be made (It’s known as the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility or in SRS-speak SRPPF.). 

The funding is $142 million more than the amount requested by Biden and around $200 million less than the recommended level in the 2023 NDAA. 

The funding level for risk management operations is $502.84 million, $15 million more than Biden requested and roughly $21 million than the 2023 NDAA recommended. 

The recommended funding level for plutonium operations is $62.76 million. The 2023 NDAA recommended funding of $58.3 million. 

Savannah River Mission Completion is the liquid waste contractor at the site. 

Recommended funding includes $900.32 million for liquid waste tank stabilization and disposition which is $20 million more than Biden requested and around $49 million more than the 2023 NDAA recommended. 

SRMC funding recommendations also includes $31.25 million for the construction of Saltstone Disposal Units 8 and 9. The 2023 NDAA recommended a funding level of $49.83 million. 

And a funding recommendation of $56.25 million for the construction of Saltstone Disposal Units 10, 11 and 12. The 2023 NDAA recommended a funding level of $37.67 million. 

The funding recommendation for operating and managing the Savannah River National Laboratory is $42 million. The 2023 NDAA recommended funding of $41 million. 

The 2024 NDAA also includes recommended funding levels of $65.9 million for legacy pensions which is down from the $132.29 million recommended by the 2023 NDAA and $12.4 million for community and regulatory support which is an increase of around $250,000 from the level recommended in the 2023 NDAA. 

The next step is for the full House of Representatives to consider the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. The House is expected to do so in mid-July. 

If the House approves the bill – they have every year since 1961 – it will go to the Senate and Biden if the Senate approves.