Savannah River managers report progress on AMC, pit program and tank work; timelines and staffing remain key questions

Edwin DeChong, acting manager of Savannah River operations, told the Governor’s Nuclear Advisory Council on March 31 that construction and program work across the Savannah River site is broadly on schedule but that funding, legal reviews and workforce needs will shape how quickly officials meet state and federal commitments.

DeChong said the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) on the University of South Carolina Aiken campus is 95% complete and is on track for occupancy later this summer. "Construction is advancing for the completion of the facility," he said, describing recent work on wiring, security systems, storefronts, flooring, stairs and elevators. He said the $66,000,000 line-item investment came from the Department of Energy in partnership with Savannah River National Laboratory.

Why it matters: Savannah River’s environmental management (EM) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) missions — including plutonium disposition, transuranic shipments, high‑curie liquid‑waste processing and the new pit production effort — drive major state-level timelines, long-term budgets and local hiring needs.

Most important updates

- Downblending and shipments: DeChong said the site plans 30 downblends of EM surplus plutonium in FY25 and that 12 of the 30 had been completed so far this year. He said SRS completed several FY25 shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and multiple transuranic waste shipments from different site areas.

- H Canyon / dissolution work: DeChong reported progress on H Canyon’s dissolution campaigns and on accelerated removal of material from the L (El) Basin and F area inventories. He told the council H Canyon completed one of three dissolution batches planned for FY25 and had completed nine of 18 dissolution operations related to fast critical assembly material the site received.

- Pit production (SRPPF): Jim Dawkins, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), described site activity for the Savannah River Plutonium Pit Production Facility (SRPPF). Dawkins said the program has reached CD‑2/3 (sufficient design to advance some construction) for the Surplus Plutonium Disposition (SPD) lines that will support dilute‑and‑dispose processing and that construction of additional processing lines to scale capacity is underway. He said turnover to operations of enlarged processing capability is targeted in the early 2030s, and the site expects multi‑year ramping of pit production activities toward the mid‑2030s timeframe for national pit production goals.

- Training and workforce: Dawkins and SR Mission Completion (SRMC) leadership described a multi‑tiered training plan. Dawkins detailed an unclassified machine training center and a planned High‑Fidelity Training and Operations Center (HFTOC) with glove‑box training to reduce risk before movement into the main processing building. SRMC representatives said site employment rose from roughly 3,300 employees several years ago to about 3,800 today, with expectations to hire about 300 people in calendar 2025 and sitewide planning that could add thousands of construction and operations staff over the next five to seven years.

- Liquid waste and tank work: SRNS leaders reported continued focus on high‑curie material processing and tank retrievals. SRMC said the program is ahead on several tank retrievals and sees the next tank closure milestones in the 2026–2028 window, while acknowledging regulatory and technical steps remain for closure decisions.

Funding and program constraints

DeChong reminded the council that a continuing resolution (CR) for FY25 holds funding at FY24 levels, constraining new starts and planned increases until Congress enacts final appropriations. He said the CR does not prevent core mission work but requires managers to find savings to absorb any new activity until appropriations are set.

Legal and program uncertainty

Council members asked about the effect of a recent court ruling that found the NNSA’s program‑level environmental review for pit production inadequate. Dawkins and other managers said program activities continue but that NNSA is handling the legal review and the sites must follow any resulting constraints. Council speakers repeatedly noted some decisions — particularly about classified equipment and the timing of CD‑2/3/CD‑4 approvals — rest with NNSA and the Department of Energy.

What the council asked for and directed

Council members pressed site leaders for more workforce detail — hiring targets, average age, and knowledge‑retention plans — and asked for follow‑up data on isotope inventories and equipment readiness. Managers agreed to provide more specific hiring and age‑profile numbers to the council.

Ending

Savannah River officials told the advisory council the site is advancing multiple, overlapping missions: facility work at AMC, continuing downblending and shipments, high‑curie liquid‑waste processing upgrades, pit‑production construction and workforce training. Managers emphasized the programs are on active schedules but cited appropriations, federal environmental reviews and long lead times for specialized equipment as the primary risks to timelines.