Bamberg, South Carolina (December 2022) – On September13, 2022, Bamberg County was awarded $4 million from the Savannah River Site Settlement funds. The funds will be used to construct an industrial speculative building in the CrossRhodes Industrial Park located at 61 Innovation Drive off of Highway 301 in Bamberg County. 

After years of litigation, on August 31, 2020, the state of South Carolina settled its lawsuit against the United States Department of Energy (“DOE”). The DOE agreed to pay SC $600 million ($525 million after attorney fees were paid) for pulling out of the Mixed Dioxide Fuel Fabrication Facility project at the Savannah River Site and leaving toxic radioactive fuel at the site for years. As a result, the federal government has until 2037 to remove 34 tons of plutonium from the site.

Last September, Governor McMaster and the South Carolina Legislature finally reached an agreement on how to disperse the funds, allocating the majority of the funds to Aiken, Barnwell, and Allendale Counties since they were the most negatively impacted by the debacle. Neighboring counties also received a portion of the funds, including $4 million to Bamberg County to construct the CrossRhodes Industrial Park speculative building. 

County Council Chairman Spencer Donaldson said, “The addition of this speculative building will position CrossRhodes Industrial Park for quicker company recruitment, occupancy, and production, which will create a positive economic impact for Bamberg County.”

County Administrator Joey Preston added, “The construction of an industrial speculative building in the CrossRhodes Industrial Park is a critical step in recruiting and securing an industry that can provide needed jobs to Bamberg County residents and encourage economic growth in one of the state’s poorest counties.” Preston also acknowledged key collaborators:  “We are so appreciative of the efforts of Sen. Brad Hutto, Rep. Justin Bamberg, and South Carolina Alliance Executive Director Danny Black to help Bamberg County secure these funds. This endeavor would not be possible without their support.”