By Chad Lampe
Murray, KY – The House Sub-Committee on Energy and Power approved a bill today to allow the re-enrichment of spent uranium at Paducah's Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Kentucky's first district Congressman Ed Whitfield chairs the subcommittee and sponsored the legislation. The bill if passed would initiate a two-year pilot program to re-enrich depleted uranium tails that are stored on site in Paducah. The plan is an effort to help keep some 1200 workers employed at the plant, and increase revenue by selling the re-enriched uranium already in the government's possession. Whitfield has told WKMS in previous interviews that it will be tough for this bill to make it through the senate, citing some lawmakers working to protect uranium miners in western states.