WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell announced today that his requests of over $373 million in funding for several important Kentucky projects, including environmental cleanup and worker health monitoring at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, have been included in the FY’08 Energy & Water Appropriations bill. Once approved by the full committee, the bill moves to the Senate for consideration.



McConnell used his seniority on the Appropriations Committee to direct funding to the following Kentucky projects:



PADUCAH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT ($133.4 MILLION)

• $116 million for cleanup activities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. This money will be used to fund continued environmental cleanup efforts at the plant.



• $17.4 million for the continued construction of the DUF6 facility in Paducah. McConnell authored two federal statutes requiring DOE to build a facility in Paducah to convert 39,000 canisters of hazardous depleted uranium hexaflouride into a more stable compound. Construction of the facility is scheduled to be completed this year and operations are slated to begin next year.



• Full funding for Worker Health Monitoring. This funding will be used for continued operation of a mobile health unit that screens current and former workers at the plant for the early signs of lung cancer. The mobile health unit travels between the three gaseous diffusion plants in Paducah, Portsmouth, Ohio and Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

“I remain committed to ensuring that the Paducah plant has the funding it needs to continue cleanup activities, finish construction of the DUF6 facility, and provide worker health screenings,” said McConnell. “While this is just the beginning of the process, I will work to make sure this important funding remains in the final bill.”

WOLF CREEK DAM ($55.1 MILLION)

• $54.1 million for the Wolf Creek Dam Rehabilitation Project. The Corps of Engineers recently determined that the stability of Wolf Creek Dam is threatened by seepage under and around the dam, increasing the risk of catastrophic failure. The requested funds will ensure that the repairs remain on schedule to complete the project as quickly as possible.



• $1 million for the Corps of Engineers to mitigate the impact of the lower water level at Lake Cumberland due to the Wolf Creek Dam Rehabilitation Project.

“The Army Corps of Engineers lowered the water level of Lake Cumberland to protect the health and safety of citizens living downstream,” said McConnell. “This critical funding will help with the repairs to Wolf Creek Dam and I will continue to work with the Corps to ensure that the repairs remain on schedule.”



UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE ($3.4 MILLION)



• $400,000 for the UofL Sustainable Buildings Project. This funding is for a collaborative effort between UofL, Jefferson County Public Schools and the Metro government to prepare plans to incorporate energy, water and waste efficiency technologies into public infrastructure being built or renovated. UofL hopes its research will help school districts and other public agencies across Kentucky and the nation implement strategies to conserve energy and reduce operating costs. Senator McConnell has delivered $800,000 for this project in previous years.



• $2 million for the UofL/Kentucky Rural Energy Consortium. The funds will be used to conduct research into using renewable biomass resources to produce heat, electricity, biofuels, natural products and industrial chemicals. Senator McConnell has previously delivered $2 million for this project.



• $1 million for the UofL Regional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Facility. The funds will support ongoing research in fundamental processes of electron transport systems and the structural biology of proteins.



“The University of Louisville is attracting top-notch students and scientists to its classrooms and laboratories with exciting research opportunities,” said McConnell. “I am pleased to have secured this funding because it will enable research to be conducted that will benefit Kentucky.”



UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY ($2 MILLION of which UK will receive a portion)



• $2 million for the Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research (CPBR), of which UK is a member. The CPBR supports university-industry research and technology transfer projects that accelerate commercialization.



“This funding will allow UK’s scientists to receive funding through the CPBR, and the technology-related research they will be conducting will help strengthen the university,” said McConnell.

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ($182 MILLION)



• $47 million for the Kentucky Lock Project. This funding will be used to double the lock’s size to handle the increased tonnage of today’s larger barge traffic.



• $94 million for the Olmsted Locks and Dam Project. This funding will be used for the continued construction of a new facility that will replace locks 52 and 53 on the Ohio River. Once complete, this facility will be the largest locking facility in Kentucky in terms of tonnage.



• $41 million for the McAlpine Locks and Dam Project, located on the Ohio River. The funding will be used to maintain the construction schedule of an auxiliary lock chamber that will give the McAlpine project twin 1,200 foot locks to allow the facility to handle projected traffic increases.



“Ensuring that there is adequate funding for the Kentucky, Olmsted and McAlpine Locks and Dams has long been a priority of mine,” said McConnell. “This funding will enable the Corps to make continued improvements to our waterways which will assist in the movement of commerce.”



The FY’08 Energy & Water Appropriations bill must now be approved by the full Appropriations Committee.



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