WASHINGTON, D.C – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today expressed support for the agreement reached between USEC and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to advance the American Centrifuge Project. Under the new agreement, USEC will transfer authority over uranium materials to DOE and match at least $45 million to invest in demonstration and technical activities to transition the American Centrifuge Project for commercial technological applications.

“This represents a renewed federal commitment to American Centrifuge Project at Piketon,” Brown said. “I commend the Department of Energy and USEC for working together on a path towards job creation and greater accountability. When I toured the Piketon facility in November, I made it very clear that the people of southern Ohio expected results, not the same stalled negotiations and finger pointing that has gone on in the past. These funds will ensure that the American Centrifuge Project is at the strongest standing possible in advance of the steps that will carry this project forward. This federal investment will ensure that the Piketon community is on a path towards continued job creation and economic growth.”

Brown has been fighting for federal funds to promote economic development in Piketon. He has been working closely with USEC and DOE to ensure facilitated coordination efforts for the American Centrifuge Project. Brown also lead the fight in Congress to accelerate the Piketon cleanup and create new jobs. He successfully secured an expedited timeframe for the cleanup, moving the due date up by more than 20 years. Last year, Brown led a bipartisan group of eight U.S. Senators last year in calling for $6 billion in the economic recovery package to be dedicated to the cleanup of existing DOE nuclear sites. As a result of that effort, Piketon received $118 million in cleanup funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The cleanup funds are expected to create more than 275 jobs in the region.

In November, Brown visited the Piketon plant with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management Dr. Inés Triay to discuss cleanup, new jobs and ways to ensure the successful economic future of the entire DOE site. More information can be found HERE.

###