S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley celebrated her first victory late Tuesday in a continuing lawsuit against the Department of Energy.
Haley’s office confirmed to a source Tuesday that the governor was told by Energy Sec. Ernest Moniz the six metric tons of plutonium that have been stored at the Savannah River Site will be relocated to New Mexico.
The federal government plans to move the radioactive material to a facility in the southwest by the end of the year.
Haley has opposed the storing the plutonium in Savannah, writing Moniz in a letter March 23 that the 730 pounds of weapons-grade plutonium from Japan should be rerouted elsewhere.
“Continued shipments of plutonium into our state puts South Carolina at risk for becoming a permanent dumping ground for nuclear materials. It is imperative to the safety of our citizens and our environment that South Carolina not allow this to happen,” Haley wrote.
She called the Tuesday news a “win,” but said she is still awaiting department officials’ decision on other aspects of the lawsuit.
Energy officials have not yet confirmed the agreement.
