---
title: SR 988. U.S. Congress; to cancel the proposed plutonium pit plant at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site; urge
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sr988
cite_as: SR 988, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr988
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr988.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr988/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74205
date: 2026-03-19
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr987.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr989.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr988.md?full=1
bill_number: SR 988
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-03-18
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
  - Nan Orrock
  - Sally Harrell
  - Tonya Anderson
  - Gail Davenport
  - Randal Mangham
  - Donzella James
  - Michael Rhett
  - Jaha Howard
  - David Lucas
  - Nikki Merritt
  - Freddie Sims
  - Sheikh Rahman
  - Ed Harbison
  - Kim Jackson
  - Elena Parent
  - Harold Jones
  - Kenya Wicks
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR988/2025
upstream_id: 2135852
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Savannah River Site
  - nuclear weapons production
  - environmental contamination
  - plutonium pit facility
  - Georgia water resources
---

# SR 988. U.S. Congress; to cancel the proposed plutonium pit plant at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site; urge

## Text

Senate Resolution 988
By: Senators Orrock of the 36th, Harrell of the 40th, Anderson of the 43rd, Davenport of the
17th, Mangham of the 55th and others
A RESOLUTION
Urging the United States Congress to cancel the proposed plutonium pit plant at the United
States Department of Energy's Savannah River Site; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, the name of the Savannah River Plant was changed to the Savannah River Site
(SRS), and the mission of the SRS changed from producing plutonium for nuclear weapons
to radioactive waste management and environmental cleanup; and
WHEREAS, the SRS contains the largest amount of radioactivity in waste of any nuclear
weapons site in the United States, including approximately 35,000,000 gallons of
radioactively contaminated industrial waste solvents in aging underground tanks that are
stranded for treatment at the SRS; and
WHEREAS, the DOE (United States Department of Energy) and NNSA (National Nuclear
Security Agency) have not had a factory to produce plutonium triggers since the shutdown
of Rocky Flats in 1989 and have made multiple efforts to site a plutonium pit production
plant at the SRS since 1989; and
WHEREAS, the NNSA is currently drafting a Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement of its intent to construct a Plutonium Pit Production Facility at the SRS; and
WHEREAS, a public comment period including public hearings will be held to record public
comments on the draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on plutonium pit
production at the SRS in 2026; and
WHEREAS, plutonium pit production is subject to fires, explosions, worker exposures, and
plutonium and radiation contamination of the environment; and
WHEREAS, plutonium is a primarily manmade element with a radioactive half-life of
24,000 years and is strongly associated with increased deaths due to cancer among
occupationally exposed people; and
WHEREAS, the Savannah River and its watershed are a vital natural resource to the people
of the State of Georgia; and
WHEREAS, the Georgia counties of Burke, Screven, Effingham, and Chatham are on the
banks of the Savannah River directly downstream from the SRS, and radionuclides from the
SRS have been found in Georgia water, soil, vegetation, air, milk, fish, and wildlife.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body
urge the United States Congress and the Georgia delegation to immediately cancel the
proposed plutonium pit production facility at the Savannah River Site.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the
press.

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary.

A Georgia Senate resolution urges the U.S. Congress and the state's congressional delegation to cancel a proposed plutonium pit production facility planned for the Savannah River Site.

### Plain-language summary

This resolution addresses a federal plan to build a new plutonium pit production facility at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS), a nuclear facility near the Georgia-South Carolina border. The National Nuclear Security Administration is drafting an environmental review of its plan to build the facility there, with public comment expected in 2026.
The resolution lays out concerns about the SRS, including that it already holds about 35 million gallons of radioactive waste in aging tanks, and that plutonium pit production carries risks of fires, explosions, worker exposure, and environmental contamination. It notes that Georgia counties along the Savannah River, including Burke, Screven, Effingham, and Chatham, sit downstream from the site and that radioactive materials from SRS have been found in Georgia water, soil, and wildlife. The resolution formally calls on Congress and Georgia's federal delegation to cancel the proposed plant and directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies to the public and press.

### What it does

- Formally urges the U.S. Congress and Georgia's congressional delegation to cancel the proposed plutonium pit production facility at the Savannah River Site.
- States the Georgia Senate's position on a federal nuclear facility decision but does not itself change any Georgia law or fund any action.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies of the resolution available to the public and the press.
- Documents specific findings about existing radioactive waste and contamination risks at the Savannah River Site as the basis for the request.

### Who it affects

Residents of Georgia counties along the Savannah River, including Burke, Screven, Effingham, and Chatham, who live downstream of the site; workers at the Savannah River Site; the U.S. Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration; and Georgia's members of Congress, who are being urged to act.

### Why it matters

The resolution itself does not stop the project, since that decision rests with federal agencies and Congress. But it puts the Georgia Senate on record opposing the plant, potentially influencing how the state's congressional delegation responds to the ongoing federal environmental review and public comment process in 2026.

### Key provisions

- The preamble details that SRS already holds roughly 35 million gallons of radioactive waste in aging underground tanks.
- Notes that the NNSA is drafting a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on building a Plutonium Pit Production Facility at SRS, with public hearings expected in 2026.
- Cites health and safety concerns, including plutonium's 24,000-year radioactive half-life and its link to cancer deaths among exposed workers.
- Identifies Burke, Screven, Effingham, and Chatham counties as downstream of SRS, where radionuclides have reportedly been found in water, soil, vegetation, air, milk, fish, and wildlife.
- The resolving clause urges Congress and Georgia's delegation to immediately cancel the proposed facility.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2026-03-18)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-03-19)
- Sponsors: Nan Orrock, Sally Harrell, Tonya Anderson, Gail Davenport, Randal Mangham, Donzella James, Michael Rhett, Jaha Howard, David Lucas, Nikki Merritt, Freddie Sims, Sheikh Rahman, Ed Harbison, Kim Jackson, Elena Parent, Harold Jones, Kenya Wicks
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74205

> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr988.md?full=1