AIKEN — As of midnight Oct. 1, the U.S. Congress has not appropriated funds to operate the federal government, but at the Savannah River Site it is business as usual for now.

SRS is a 310-square-mile facility employing more than 10,000 people. Plutonium and tritium were produced there for nuclear weapons from the 1950s until 1988. Work there today involves removing and containing contamination that is the legacy of that mission. The Savannah River National Laboratory conducts research on environmental remediation, hydrogen storage and fuel cells. A facility to produce plutonium pits for nuclear weapons is under construction.

An inquiry to the U.S. Department of Energy about the impact of the shutdown on the mission of the Savannah River Site was answered by Emery Washington, deputy press secretary in the Office of Public Affairs.

“Please find our lapse plan here,” he answered via email, sharing a link to a page on the DOE website.

“Most of DOE's appropriations are multi-year or no-year,” the plan says.

According to the plan, DOE policy allows for continuing operations using balances from prior years, if available, during a lapse in appropriations. Upon exhaustion of all available balances policy allows for continuing only those excepted functions related to emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property and “initiating orderly shutdown of those activities not considered excepted.”

“It is anticipated that there would be no disruption to DOE operations during a short lapse in appropriations of 1-5 days. DOE has historically had sufficient previously appropriated funds that remain available to support operations during a short term lapse,” it says.

In the event of a lapse, “Federal employees in offices with funding for salaries continue to report for work as scheduled. A prolonged lapse in appropriations may require subsequent employee furloughs. If there is an imminent threat to human life or protection of property, a limited number of employees may be recalled from furlough status,” the plan states.

“Performance of contracts and financial assistance instruments continue in accordance with their terms, including any provisions about limitations of funding,” the plan states. “However, depending upon the length of the lapse of the appropriations, whether Government oversight is needed, and the availability of prior-year funding, the Department may need to review the activities of its contractors and only those activities where the suspension of the function of the contract would imminently threaten the safety of human life or the protection of property would be permitted to continue.”

“DOE would be able to shut down all non-excepted Federal functions within a half day of exhaustion of available balances, with some exceptions involving the movement of nuclear materials,” the plan states.

“It will take longer than a half day to shutdown some contractor performed activities in order to protect property. For example, some large equipment may need to be cooled down before it can be shutdown, while other equipment may need to stay operational at a low level in order for it not to be permanently damaged,” it reads.

“Unless otherwise noted, if a Departmental element does not have functions related to the safety of human life and the protection of property, all functions performed by that element will close if there is a lapse in appropriations and unexpended balances have been exhausted,” the plan states.

“Each component of DOE will continue to operate until prior year balances for funding of federal employees is exhausted. Pursuant to the DOE Order each office that has prior year balances will continue to operate as long as those balances remain available, but operations under those circumstances will be somewhat modified. For example, travel will generally be curtailed. DOE has some limited transfer and reprogramming authority which may enable DOE to extend the number of days of funding available in some limited cases,” the plan says.

“Any office may end up recalling individuals who are not currently excepted based on world events and the length of the shutdown. All such recalls must be approved by the Office of the General Counsel or the NNSA General Counsel, as applicable.

“At most DOE facilities, all operations will cease once prior year balances have been exhausted. Under the protection of property exception, DOE will physically protect sites (guns, guards, and gates) and maintain Government equipment and property (e.g., caring for laboratory animals and ensuring that scientific equipment and nuclear reactors are safely maintained),” it reads.

“There are some DOE programs, for example, the medical isotope program, where DOE may need to produce additional isotopes in order to protect human life. The need to do this will depend on the length of the lapse and the stockpile of individual isotopes,” the plan says.

“All other agency programs will close if there is a lapse of appropriations and prior year balances are exhausted,” according to the plan.

“If there is a furlough of DOE employees, at the end of the furlough individuals will be notified to return to work,” it reads.

The statement says “DOE plans to notify excepted personnel that they are excepted when appropriate. For the most part, excepted personnel include a sufficient number of contracting officers who can enter into and modify contracts, if needed, and other employees who are needed to ensure that Government property is protected. The number of excepted personnel is stated in the lapse plan summary, but is subject to change."