COLUMBIA S.C. (WACH) — A fight over the future of nuclear weapons production in South Carolina is intensifying after activists toured the proposed plutonium pit processing facility at the Savannah River Site and then brought their concerns to the Statehouse.

Nuclear watch groups and environmental advocates rallied at the Statehouse Wednesday morning following their visit to the site, where a multi-billion-dollar project is being considered to produce plutonium pits, a key component in nuclear weapons. The Savannah River Site has long been part of the nation’s nuclear program, and the proposed facility would mark a major return to weapons production.

Critics argue the cost and the need for the project are both in question.