Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham today announced the Beech Island Historical Society will receive a $200,000 grant to rehabilitate a turn-of-the-century brick cottonseed barn for use as an agricultural museum. The museum is a recognized site on the Region III South Carolina National Heritage Corridor for Aiken County. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ####

Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced the Army Corps of Engineers will receive $2,234,000 to help preserve and protect the Morris Island Lighthouse. The funds will allow the Corps to enter into a contract and begin undertaking efforts to stabilize the structure. Without repair, the lighthouse is destined to fall into the sea. “For over a century, the lighthouse has served as the front door to Charleston Harbor,” said Graham. “The lighthouse has a grand legacy of protecting ships coming in from the Atlantic. Now, it’s time for us to protect this historical landmark and preserve an important piece of our history.” “The Morris Island Lighthouse is a landmark of the Charleston harbor and a vital part of South Carolina’s heritage. The lighthouse should be restored and protected and I’m glad we’re taking steps to do so,” said DeMint. Earlier this year, the state of South Carolina committed an additional $500,000 to stabilization efforts at the lighthouse. This brings the state share to $1 million. The Senators secured the funds in the 2006 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. The legislation passed the Senate Appropriations Committee by a 28-0 vote and should be taken up by the full Senate in the next few weeks. Following Senate passage the measure will be referred to a House-Senate Conference Committee. ####

Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston will receive $8 million for the construction of a new research facility at the Hollings Cancer Center. “The MUSC Hollings Cancer Center is a leader in cancer research,” said Graham. “The work they do is on the cutting edge of cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. The new research facility will allow the Center to better serve our state and help many of our citizens battling cancer.” Graham secured the funding in the Fiscal Year 2006 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill which has already been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The legislation is scheduled to come before the full Senate in the next few weeks. “We at the Medical University of South Carolina thank Senator Graham for his interest in and support of cancer research,” said Dr. Ray Greenberg, President of the Medical University of South Carolina. “These funds will be dedicated toward the construction of a building that will house research on the causes of cancer, with a special focus on genetic risk factors. Former Senator Hollings helped the Medical University establish a cancer center, and now Senator Graham is continuing to advance the effort to build a center of excellence that will serve all the citizens of the State and play a leadership role nationally.” The new research facility is a key part of MUSC’s goal of being designated a National Cancer Institute by the National Institute of Health. This designation would increase the resources available to the Hollings Cancer Center to conduct research and prevention programs in South Carolina. It would also increase the state’s access to clinical trials for newly developed cancer fighting drugs. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in South Carolina, claiming the lives of nearly 8,000 citizens each year. More than 17,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed in South Carolina annually, and one in two males and one in three females will develop cancer at some time in their lives. ####

Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON – Today, Georgia and South Carolina lawmakers praised the Department of Energy (DOE) for agreeing to provide $4.3 million for the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory in Aiken, SC in fiscal year 2006. The announcement is part of a joint year-long effort to secure funding for the laboratory. Senators Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., Johnny Isaskon, R-Ga., Lindsey Graham, R-SC and Jim DeMint, R-SC, along with Reps. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., Charlie Norwood, R-Ga., and Gresham Barrett, R-SC, launched the effort earlier this year upon learning the White House budget did not include funds for the laboratory. The lawmakers credit U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman for listening to their concerns and working with the Georgia and South Carolina delegation to invest funding in the laboratory’s critical work. “In numerous meetings, phone calls and letters we jointly impressed upon Secretary Bodman the importance of this project to our nation,” said Chambliss. “The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory has been operated by the University of Georgia for over 54 years and has been widely recognized for its research, education and pubic outreach programs. I am thankful Secretary Bodman and his staff worked with us to address the laboratory’s important funding needs.” “I am very pleased Secretary Bodman has been so willing to work with us over the past several months to ensure that the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory and the University of Georgia can continue their critical research at Savannah River Site. Our Georgia and South Carolina delegations made a very strong case as to why SREL deserves to continue to receive funding from the Department of Energy and we appreciate Secretary Bodman’s willingness to take this action,” Isakson said. “The SREL has helped track the effects on the environment from our Cold War missions,” said Graham. “The data they collect provides a public health service and the funding level we achieved in the Senate is an important step toward the lab’s continued operation. I’m pleased we were able to work with our friends from Georgia to secure funding this year.” “I’m glad the Department of Energy worked with us to find a thoughtful solution to address the needs of the lab,” said Senator DeMint. “The Savannah River Ecology Lab’s independent analysis is crucial to understanding the environmental impact of work done at the Savannah River site. This decision will sustain the lab and its important work.” "This is good news," Congressman Kingston said. "Keeping funding flowing for the ecological research being done at the lab is very important. I know Dr. Bertsch is pleased and I am glad Secretary Bodman and the Energy Department worked with us to keep this going." "We have worked hard to impress upon the Department of Energy the importance of SREL's mission to the nation. While I am disappointed that full funding was not restored through the contract year, I am pleased that Secretary Bodman worked with us to provide enough funding for SREL to remain operational," said Barrett. "We remain committed to working together for the future of the lab." "While it remains a disappointment that we were unable to convince DOE to restore full funding, we have still come away with a clear victory for maintaining SREL until new, permanent funding sources can be found," says Norwood. "The work done by SREL is too vital for the nation's environmental research efforts to ever let this facility go dark." Situated on the grounds of Savannah River Site (SRS), the SREL provides an independent evaluation of the ecological effects of DOE's SRS operations through a program of ecological research, education, and outreach which involves basic and applied environmental research, with emphasis upon expanding the understanding of ecological processes and principles, and upon evaluating the impacts of industrial and land use activities on the environment. ###