Whitfield Secures Over $257 Million for Continued Cleanup of Paducah DOE Site in House Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 1, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield (KY-01), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power, today announced that he secured over $257 million for the continued cleanup efforts at the Paducah Department of Energy (DOE) site. The funding was included as part of the Fiscal Year 2016 Energy and Water federal spending bill. Additionally, Whitfield was successful in obtaining language in the committee report urging the DOE to develop a long term acquisition strategy at the site.

“The federal government has a responsibility to complete cleanup at the Paducah site and I remain dedicated to ensuring the funding and resources are available to accomplish this along with reindustrialization efforts,” said Whitfield. “It is also imperative that the DOE develop a long term strategy for the site to ensure the decontamination and decommission work is done properly and in a timely fashion.”

The Fiscal Year 2016 Energy and Water Appropriations bill that includes the $257 million for Paducah is one of 13 annual appropriations bills that together fund the entire federal government. These 13 bills must all be enacted prior to the start of a new fiscal year, designated as October 1. The U.S. Senate must also take action before the bill can become law.

Earlier this year, Whitfield pressed Department of Energy Secretary, Ernest Moniz, in a hearing on the 2016 DOE Budget in Whitfield’s Energy and Power Subcommittee.