May 25, 2015

Ohio Lawmakers Press DOE to Avoid Portsmouth Layoffs in 2016

By ExchangeMonitor

Members of Ohio’s Congressional delegation asked the Department of Energy how it plans to avoid layoffs at the Portsmouth site in 2016 given planned funding levels and cuts in the uranium transfers used to help pay for cleanup at the site. The Department recently released a new Secretarial Determination governing those transfers, cutting them from 2,400 metric tons annually to 1,600 metric tons per quarter. That is expected have an impact of about $65 million in Fiscal Year 2016 for cleanup contractor Fluor B&W Portsmouth. “The 1,600 MTU level for 2016 could create a significant funding gap next year should uranium prices remain where they are today or fall. This will reignite the uncertainty that surrounds the project and it runs counter to the efforts of the Ohio delegation in Congress,” states a May 21 letter to DOE by Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Reps. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) and Bill Johnson (R-Ohio).

This comes after DOE’s proposed FY 2016 budget of $167 million for Portsmouth, a sharp cut from enacted levels that also raises the question of layoffs. “We respectfully request that DOE explain, in detail, how workforce disruptions will be avoided in 2016 given the potential funding shortfalls,” the lawmakers said in the letter to DOE.

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