McMaster: Spend $525M plutonium deal on affected communities

 COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster says a $525 million settlement from the federal government over plutonium storage at a former nuclear weapons plant should be invested into the communities surrounding the plant. The governor’s plan for the Savannah River Site settlement money includes building industrial parks, expanding workforce training programs and upgrading water and sewer systems in three counties. Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties would each get a share, with some money going to a reserve fund. It’s ultimately up to state lawmakers on how to spend the cash. The settlement was made in 2020 after federal authorities broke a promise to get rid of all the plutonium at the nuclear plant by a 2017 deadline.