SC lawmakers so far have spent $60 million to educate people for new jobs at Savannah River National Laboratory. Gov. Henry McMaster is seeking $20 million more in the next budget. (Provided by SRNL)
AIKEN — Gov. Henry McMaster is asking lawmakers to deliver on the second phase of a $120 million commitment that aims to prepare South Carolinians for high tech jobs at the Savannah River Site’s expanding nuclear research lab.
In his latest budget proposal, the governor is seeking $20 million to fund collegiate research and education initiatives at South Carolina’s major universities. The goal is to graduate a steady stream of new engineers and scientists who can then go to work at Savannah River National Laboratory on the western edge of the state.
The lab, located on the expansive Savannah River nuclear complex, is one of 17 national labs in the U.S.
Its scientists conduct research on new forms of nuclear power generation, environmental cleanup of nuclear waste and help keep the country’s atomic arsenal in working order.