PITTSBURGH, Dec. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today applauded the successful efforts of USW Local 689 to secure $78 million in fiscal year 2015 congressional funding to continue decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) activities at the Department of Energy (DOE) former uranium enrichment site in Piketon, Ohio.
Since the plant ceased enriching uranium in 2001, more than 800 men and women of USW Local 689 have been performing the needed cleanup of this nuclear legacy so the site can be re-industrialized and used for economic development.
"This was a significant victory for Local 689," said USW International Vice President Carol Landry. "In July, the contractor in Piketon issued a WARN notice because of a significant funding shortfall for the cleanup work at the site."
"While we were able to get a temporary solution to the problem in the continuing resolution congress passed in September, hundreds of jobs at Piketon would still have been at risk if Congress had not been persuaded to address the funding shortfall by December 12," Landry said.
"The leadership shown by Local 689 and its president Herman Potter during this six-month effort should be commended," said USW District 1 Director Dave McCall. "This facility is located in a county in Ohio with the state's second highest unemployment rate. Had this funding not been secured, hundreds of these highly skilled, family-supporting jobs would have been lost."
"We are very happy with the outcome of this effort," said USW Local 689 President Herman Potter. "However, we are now looking to the fiscal year 2016 budget to secure stable, long-term funding to ensure safe operations and continued progress toward the future reindustrialization of the site."
The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply, manufacturing and energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector and service occupations.
More information, contact: Tony Montana – (216) 308-4798 or [email protected]
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SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)
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