Rep. Clyburn seeking restoration of DOE payment to Savannah River Site neighbors

Jun. 19—U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn has asked congressional appropriators to fully fund a so-called payment in lieu of tax for the Savannah River Site, after the Biden administration proposed stripping millions of dollars from the account that directly benefits Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties.

The congressman said Friday he would "continue to advocate for that funding" as the federal budget takes shape and is, ultimately, passed. As the third-ranking Democrat, Clyburn has pull.

"I have long advocated for the funding that meets the needs of the local communities around the Savannah River Site," Clyburn said in a statement to the Aiken Standard, further describing PILT payments as "essential" to the provision of government services in the three counties occupied by the 310-square-mile nuclear reservation.

The fiscal year 2022 budget request for the Department of Energy's cleanup office, Environmental Management, cuts $5.7 million in payment-in-lieu-of-tax funds for the Savannah River region. The money — for years distributed to Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties — supports education efforts, infrastructure projects and emergency services, among other things.

Barnwell County traditionally receives the lion's share of PILT money in the Palmetto State; the county comprises most of the Savannah River Site, where plutonium for U.S. nuclear weapons was produced and where millions of gallons of nuclear waste are now stored. Barnwell County Council member Ben Kinlaw has described the federal payout as "sort of like the sacred cow."

"It's a legacy that's been there for a long time, and certainly the communities have relied on it and used it for very good purposes," said Jim Marra, the executive director of Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness, a nonprofit. "It really is impactful to everyone, especially Barnwell County."

Supporting documents for the latest budget request do not explain why PILT payments were cut for South Carolina. (PILT money, $3.5 million, for the Hanford site in Washington was also slashed in the Environmental Management spending plan.)

An Energy Department spokesperson earlier this week said the Biden administration is "deeply committed to working with the Savannah River community and other communities who have been adversely effected by the legacy of DOE weapons and research missions." The spokesperson said the department "will work with appropriate congressional and agency staff to support these communities moving forward."

Lawmakers have the power to add back the payment in lieu of tax for the Savannah River Site. U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., said he, too, would work to restore the funding.

"With the site continuing to grow with new missions, taking money out of local school districts will have a direct impact on the future workforce needs of the site," Wilson said Tuesday. "I plan to work with Congressman Jim Clyburn and my Senate colleagues to reinstate these payments throughout the congressional appropriations process."