Fri., October 23, 2009 2:57pm (EDT)

Savannah River Ecology Lab Receives $2.6 Million in Federal Stimulus Funds
By Noel Brown
Updated: 2 years ago

AUGUSTA, Ga.  —  
A new study at the Savannah River Ecology Lab will attempt to determine what level of contamination this baby alligator will be exposed to during it’s 40-50 year lifespan. (Image courtesy of SREL)
A $2.6 million stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy is meant to bring 12 new full-time jobs to the Savannah River Ecology Lab near Aiken, S.C. It will also allow 16 University of Georgia research professionals to keep their jobs. The UGA-run facility will use the money to fund seven new and five ongoing research projects. The majority of those projects involve studying the affects of pollution on Georgia’s waterways.

Over the years SREL has worked with the Department of Energy to help manage the environmental impact of their nuclear facility at the Savannah River Site. According to officials, the new projects will allow researchers to gain further understanding of the impact SRS has on the state’s ecosystem. One of those projects involves the study of aquatic reptiles like alligators and turtles and the effects of long-term contamination on those animals.