Several members of the community, former employees and officials joined in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Savannah River Site’s H Canyon facility, the Department of Energy announced Monday.
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) spoke at the event alongside the site’s manager, Jack Craig, and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions CEO and President Carol Johnson.
The facility began its operations developing nuclear materials for weapons and defense programs, following the Cold War it transitioned to manage stabilization and spent nuclear fuel programs from research reactors.
“For 60 years, the canyon has supported this country’s nuclear material needs,” Wilson said. “There is no other place in the United States that has served our nation in this way. During the Cold War, it was involved with nuclear material production, significantly contributing to a victory for democracy. Today, H Canyon proves that it is a great asset to our nation by helping to keep nuclear materials in a safe and secure location, and I am grateful for their dedicated, capable employees.”
Currently, the facility is in preparation to blend down low-enriched uranium and has restarted a second uranium cycle to purify and decontaminate uranium. The site also serves as a testing site for new nuclear technologies.
