Monitoring
Program Near SRS Loses U.S. Funding
Paraphrased
by:
Steve Waldrop
January 30, 2004
Georgia's Savannah River radiation monitoring program will continue
in a scaled-down version at least through April because of a recent
loss of federal funding.The payments stopped on January 17.
The U.S. Department of Energy provided $1.8 million over the past three
years to help Georgia's Environmental Protection Division establish
the program to determine whether the Savannah River Site nuclear plant
near Augusta is leaking harmful radiation.
Georgia was depending on $700,000 to operate the program in 2004. Federal
officials said the money was never intended to be an ongoing menas of
support.
Jim Hardeman, the manager of state EPD's radiation monitoring program,
said the reduced monitoring plan will mostly monitor for tritium. Employees
will be paid at least through april.
