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Optimism High After DOE Plant Announcement

Optimism High After DOE Plant Announcement
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By WestKyStar Staff
Nov. 27, 2013
By WestKyStar Staff Nov. 27, 2013 | 01:56 PM
Public officials reacted Wednesday to the Department of Energy's announcement that GE Hitachi's GLE division has been granted the right to exclusively negotiate with the DOE to use the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant to re-enrich depleted uranium.

In the DOE press release, Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman said, “Today, after months of hard work and ahead of our anticipated end-of-year decision, I am pleased to announce that the Department has selected GLE and AREVA for potential projects that provide value to American taxpayers by reducing the costs of cleanup at the sites and creating high-paying technical jobs in the State of Kentucky. These selections represent an important next step as the Department continues planning for potential future uses and ongoing cleanup efforts at the Paducah site."

After hearing the news, local leaders gathered Wednesday afternoon at the Commerce Center on South 3rd Street to express their excitement for the community.  Paducah Mayor Gayle Kaler, McCracken County Judge-Executive Van Newberry, Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilson, Paducah Economic Development Chairman Ken Hunt, and Paducah Economic Development Executive Vice President Charlie Martin attended the meeting.

Mayor Kaler said, “Our future looks very bright today.” She thanked the Congressional delegation, McCracken County, Paducah Economic Development, and the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce for all of their hard work.  

Over the past several weeks, the Congressional delegation and local leaders have had meetings with Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to discuss the long-term future of the DOE site in McCracken County.  

Judge-Executive Newberry says, “There’s not one county in this region that is not celebrating right now.  It’s hard to imagine what this is going to do for this area.”  All of the local leaders commented on how this facility utilizing state-of-the-art technology will lead to spin-off industries and will positively impact the existing business community.

Martin thanked the existing plant workers and the ones who worked there in the past.  Martin says, “If [the existing and previous plant workers] hadn’t done a good job, we wouldn’t be here.  This new plant will provide opportunities for our children and grandchildren.”


Joint statement from Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Rand Paul, and Representative Ed Whitfield:

“When it became clear that DOE would ultimately close the Gaseous Diffusion Plant, we aggressively sought out partners with Paducah’s long-term economic interests in mind.  Specifically, we worked to ensure the Paducah community would be the benefactor of any future development using the DOE-owned depleted uranium tails.  GE made a commitment to Paducah early on, and we are pleased that Global Laser Enrichment has been chosen to lead Paducah – our proud Atomic City – into an exciting chapter involving state-of-the-art laser enrichment technology.

“We have been encouraged by GE’s commitment to Paducah.  It is our understanding that GE proposes to invest over $1 billion to create a state-of-the-art laser enrichment facility at the DOE site that will create thousands of construction jobs, and hundreds of permanent jobs at a future GE facility.  From a national perspective, the proposal seeks to save the federal government money in cost reduction and revive the U.S. domestic nuclear supply chain while likely generating billions of dollars in new tax revenues for the local, state, and federal government.

“Paducah is a proud city, and we are thrilled GE has placed its confidence in the people of Paducah to host this new state-of-the-art facility.  Paducah has a bright future ahead, and we are genuinely grateful to be a part of it.”


Governor Steve Beshear released a statement:

“Today’s news that DOE will begin negotiations with Global Laser Enrichment to consider operating a new laser enrichment facility at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant is a positive development in our long effort to ensure a promising future for the workers at that facility.  This is a strong step toward energizing that sector of our economy, while providing economic stability and investment for the Paducah community.  

While negotiations are yet to come and a great deal of work remains, I am cautiously optimistic regarding this new effort.  As I stressed during my meeting with Secretary Moniz earlier in the summer, the companies that are ready and willing to create economic opportunities at the site need timely answers, and so do our valued and skilled workers in Paducah. I deeply appreciate that DOE heeded my recommendation to speed up the decision making process, and announced this step today a month ahead of their original schedule.  I have also emphasized the importance of keeping the tails in Paducah for future economic growth and jobs, and I will continue to stress the necessity of quick action on site cleanup and other decisions regarding the area’s viability.

The state will be at the table during these upcoming negotiations to provide any necessary permits and reviews to support an expedited conclusion.”


Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway's statement:

"This morning I received a call from Dep. Sec. Poneman informing me that the U.S. Department of Energy is entering into negotiations with a consortium to enrich and recycle depleted uranium tails at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.  I recognize that the Paducah area has been hard hit by the closing of the plant, and this welcome news could mean a new life for the existing facility and jobs for employees who've been out-of-work since the plant closed.  Dep. Sec. Poneman also reiterated a point that I made when we met in Washington, D.C. this summer - that the USDOE has a moral and legal obligation to clean up the contamination at the site.  He said the DOE plans to stand by that agreement."


Paducah Economic Development statements:

Chad Chancellor, president/CEO of Paducah Economic Development, said, “This has been the community’s number one economic development issue for years.  By all of our local, state and federal elected officials coming together with the private sector great things like this can be announced. I am grateful to have all of these officials as part of team Paducah. This is step one of what we hope to be a long term partnership with all involved, and we are committed to making this a success."

Ken Hunt, Paducah Economic Development board chairman, said, “The plant has been Paducah’s lifeblood for 60 years and we are grateful for this announcement giving us the opportunity for a bright future at the site."

Both men thanked the many leaders and officials who helped make Wednesday's announcement possible.



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