S. Carolina prosecutor tells administration he's ready to sue, again, over nuke fuel project

South Carolina's top prosecutor is warning the Obama administration that he's prepared to sue — again — if a nuclear fuel processing project isn't made a priority.

Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a letter this month to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz that they should discuss a path that preserves the mixed-oxide project and "avoids litigation."

The Savannah River Site project is part of an agreement with Russia to turn weapons-grade plutonium into commercial reactor fuel.

South Carolina sued last year after the administration said it wanted to shutter the project, citing billions in cost overruns and project delays. The suit was dropped when the administration agreed to temporary funding.

The overruns and delays have led the administration to slash funding and propose shutting down construction to search for cheaper alternatives.

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Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP