McConnell, Paul, Whitfield Meet with DOE Secretary

Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, along with Congressman Ed Whitfield, met today with Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Assistant Secretary Daniel Poneman to discuss the long-term future of the DOE site.

Still reeling from the DOE’s recent announcement not to extend the United States Enrichment Corporation’s (USEC) operation, the delegation, on behalf of the community, stressed the importance of DOE's commitment to cleanup and utilizing the tails and other assets located in Paducah to secure a long term future for the site.

In a joint press release, the three men said, “The Department of Energy must act quickly to maximize long-term job retention and job growth in Paducah, and we will continue to do all we can to ensure that happens. It is critical for the DOE to act quickly to create stability and economic certainty for the people of Paducah by making a selection on an expression of interest as well as fulfill their commitment to cleanup as soon as possible. There is significant private sector interest for utilizing the site’s assets in Paducah, so any plan by the DOE to ship the tails out of the area is unacceptable to us.”