By Rose Krzton-Presson
Washington DC – Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell says the crux of allowing the re-enrichment of spent uranium at Paducah's Gaseous Diffusion Plant is jobs. McConnell made his statement today at a hearing of the house subcommittee on Energy and Power. McConnell spoke in support of the proposed Energy and Revenue Enrichment Act. The legislation would allow the re-enrichment of 700,000 metric tons of depleted uranium hexafluoride, or "tails," at sites in Paducah and Portsmouth, Ohio. The bill could also save jobs at the Paducah Plant that, without any further action from the government and private sector, is set to end operation in May of 2012. Senators McConnell and Rand Paul are backing the bill in the Senate. McConnell thinks it is an easy decision to make.
"You have materials right in your own backyard, you have facilities to turn it into a sought-after product worth at least a billion dollars- maybe more, and a workforce trained and ready to do the work. Do you use that asset in a way that saves jobs or do you let the Department slowly dispose of all of this valuable material meanwhile 1,200 people lose unemployment? I know which option sounds like the common sense solution to me."
The bill, if approved, would lift a ban on re-enriching the "tails" and allow for a 24 month pilot program at the Paducah Plant. Currently, the bill is still in the House Energy and Commerce Committee for referral.