Earlier rumblings of possible lawsuits to stall construction of the Uranium Processing Facility have not materialized, but the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance—with the support of other activist groups and peace organizations—has stepped up efforts to sway public opinion and influence Congressional appropriators about the high-priced government project. On April 13, OREPA released a seven-page letter sent to Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Tennessee Republican who serves as the ranking member on the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee that will have a say in the future of UPF. The group, which has monitored Y-12 activities since 1988, urged Alexander to block the Administration’s request for $340 million in Fiscal Year 2013 to accelerate construction of the new production center. OREPA claims that UPF is unnecessary and a wild waste of taxpayer money. “There is a rush to build a super-sized, super-priced UPF, and everything else is being shoved under the bus—fiscal responsibility, safety, jobs, you name it,” Ralph Hutchison, longtime coordinator of the group, said in a statement.
Alexander’s office issued a response, saying the senator hadn’t received the group’s letter but looked forward to reviewing its recommendations. “I am committed to seeing the UPF facility completed safely, cost-effectively, and as soon as possible so that hundreds of workers who are doing critical national-security work can be moved out of a very unsafe building [9212],” the Republican said.