Savannah River Site to get funds for reprocessing facility

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - Several South Carolina leaders confirmed Tuesday that Savannah River Site will receive federal funds to begin building a $3.8 billion plutonium reprocessing facility near the Georgia border. <br> <br> President Bush has included the project in his budget for the coming year. <br> <br> The facility at the site would employ as many 500 people when it is completed, and construction could start in 2004 if Congress approves the project. <br> <br> The project, known as MOX, would convert plutonium into a mixed-oxide fuel for commercial power plants. It could begin processing by 2007. <br> <br> The program works to reduce the chance of bomb-making nuclear material falling into the hands of terrorists.

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