Sanford challenges lawmakers to replenish Chem-Nuclear fund

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By DIONNE GLEATON, T&D Staff Writer

BARNWELL — Restoring $25 million borrowed from what was set aside to pay for monitoring and potential cleanup of a low-level nuclear waste site in Barnwell was part of Gov. Mark Sanford's rules of fiscal responsibility for the General Assembly Tuesday. <snip>

The Barnwell Fund is one of several trust funds from which the General Assembly has borrowed $187 million since 2001. Users of the Chem-Nuclear site have paid into a long-term care fund over the years to pay for emergency needs and, at the same time, offset costs to the taxpayers.

However, $90 million has been borrowed from the Barnwell Fund alone to fill gaps in the state budget since 2001, Sanford said.

He pointed out that the fund, which now stands at $23 million, would have had a total of $136 million if it had not been touched and had its money used for other purposes. <snip>

http://www.thetandd.com/articles/2005/02/22/news/doc421bf7f627552431540772.txt