H-Cayon is a Vital National Asset

Floor Speech

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, H-Canyon Chemical Separations Facility at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina, which is valued at nearly $1 billion, is the only shielded nuclear chemical separations plant still in operation in the United States. During its operating life, H-Canyon facility routinely recovered uranium-235 and neptunium-237 spent fuel and has aided America in
honoring its international agreement by returning these fuels for the purposes of nuclear nonproliferation and safeguarding.

Today, H-Canyon and its HB-Line operations are supporting the DOE Highly Enriched Uranium Blend-Down program and Plutonium Disposition program. By blending down highly enriched uranium and isolating plutonium from surrounding corrosive elements, H-Canyon ensures our country's national security, while simultaneously providing fuel which is currently being purchased by the Tennessee Valley Authority to empower commercial nuclear reactors.

As difficult funding decisions are made in this Congress, I urge my colleagues to support the mission of H-Canyon. It is a vital national asset that has served our country since victory in the Cold War and will continue to protect and serve Americans both home and abroad for decades.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.

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