After an August visit fell through, Energy Secretary Rick Perry is expected to visit the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant cleanup site on Friday, several members of the Ohio congressional delegation announced Wednesday.
Sen. Rob Portman (R), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), Rep. Bill Johnson (R) and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R) issued a joint statement praising Perry for making his first visit to the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and former American Centrifuge Project facility in Piketon.
During a Senate confirmation hearing, Portman had invited Perry to visit the DOE complex in Ohio for a personal inspection of the decontamination and decommissioning there.
Portman and other Ohio lawmakers hope the Trump administration might consider reviving Centrus Energy’s American Centrifuge site, a demonstration plant for advanced uranium enrichment technology that closed in 2016 after the Obama administration Energy Department cut off funding. Centrus is decommissioning the facility. Perry has expressed willingness to revisit DOE’s decision to end the uranium enrichment project in Ohio.
Piketon, Ohio, Mayor Billy Spencer said Wednesday he hopes for even a short meeting with Perry to discuss concerns with the DOE strategy for on-site disposal of nuclear waste from demolition and cleanup of the Portsmouth Site’s facilities.
“I’ve made calls today,” Spencer said by phone Wednesday. “I’ve got a packet of information to hand him.”
Few details of the Perry visit were available on Wednesday.