Ohio-2011-HCR4-Enrolled

As Adopted by the House

129th General Assembly

Regular Session

2011-2012

H. C. R. No. 4

Representative Rosenberger

Cosponsors: Representatives Gonzales, Buchy, Gardner, Grossman, Huffman, Blessing, Peterson, Garland, Carey, Adams, J., Maag, Derickson, Szollosi, Schuring, Combs, Martin, Blair, Thompson, Patmon, Goodwin, Stebelton, Stautberg, Coley, O'Brien, Adams, R., Anielski, Beck, Boose, Brenner, Bubp, Butler, Duffey, Gentile, Hackett, Hagan, C., Hayes, Hottinger, Johnson, Letson, Luckie, McGregor, Mecklenborg, Newbold, Roegner, Ruhl, Sears, Slaby, Uecker, Young Speaker Batchelder

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

To urge the President of the United States to direct 1
the United States Department of Energy to ensure 2
the continuation of the uranium enrichment work 3
being developed by USEC, Inc., at its Piketon, 4
Ohio plant by granting USEC's application for a 5
federal loan guarantee and to direct the Secretary 6
of Energy to strongly consider providing federal 7
funding assistance for the Clean Energy Park 8
Demonstration Project. 9

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OHIO
(THE SENATE CONCURRING):

       WHEREAS, USEC, Inc. is a global and leading supplier of 10
enriched uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants; and 11

       WHEREAS, USEC currently operates the American Centrifuge 12
Demonstration Facility in Piketon, Ohio, that develops next 13
generation uranium enrichment technology; and 14

       WHEREAS, The United States Department of Energy (USDOE) 15
currently is considering USEC's application for a federal loan 16
guarantee for the construction of its American Centrifuge Plant in 17
Piketon; and 18

       WHEREAS, USEC and the Ohio General Assembly believe that the 19
American Centrifuge Plant project has met the financial and 20
technical requirements of the USDOE's Loan Guarantee Program as 21
well as President Obama's policy objectives for energy security 22
and climate change goals and that the plant has demonstrated with 23
confidence that it is technologically ready to transition to 24
commercial operation; and 25

       WHEREAS, The construction and operation of the American 26
Centrifuge Plant will create up to an estimated 8,000 jobs, 27
approximately half of which will be in Ohio; and 28

       WHEREAS, USDOE's failure to grant a loan guarantee will force 29
USEC, at a critical time in Ohio's economy, to demobilize its 30
American Centrifuge Plant uranium enrichment project jeopardizing 31
the expansion efforts at the Piketon plant and resulting in job 32
losses in Ohio and several other states; and 33

       WHEREAS, President Obama has expressed his support for the 34
American Centrifuge Plant when campaigning in Ohio; and 35

       WHEREAS, In a separate effort, USEC, the Southern Ohio 36
Diversification Initiative, and power developers have joined to 37
form the Southern Ohio Clean Energy Park Alliance for the purpose 38
of pursuing the proposed development of a Clean Energy Park 39
Demonstration Project at the USDOE site in Piketon and to support 40
reindustrialization and asset reutilization as the cleanup work at 41
this site nears completion; and 42

        WHEREAS, The Alliance proposes to evaluate the Portsmouth 43
Gaseous Diffusion Plant site in Piketon as a potential location 44
for a new nuclear power plant and include in the evaluation both a 45
plant siting study and the preparation of licensing documents for 46
submission to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission as 47
part of its Early Site Permit process; and 48

        WHEREAS, A Generation III+ nuclear power reactor located at 49
this site, would create over 2,000 construction jobs with an 50
estimated payroll of $1.2 billion over six years and add 51
approximately 500 permanent professional and technical jobs to the 52
region without producing carbon emissions; and 53

        WHEREAS, A shared funding approach between the USDOE and the 54
Alliance is an appropriate method of funding this multi-billion 55
dollar project due to possible environmental contamination at the 56
Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site, and whereby, under this 57
approach, the USDOE would fund the preparation of the Early Site 58
Permit and the Combined Operating License Application, and then 59
the Alliance would fund the nuclear power plant project as it 60
progresses; and 61

        WHEREAS, The USDOE has the authority to direct federal funds 62
toward projects such as the Clean Energy Park Demonstration 63
Project; now therefore be it 64

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 129th General Assembly 65
of the State of Ohio, urge the President of the United States to 66
direct the Secretary of USDOE to award USEC, at the earliest 67
opportunity, the federal loan guarantee for which it applied; and 68
be it further 69

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 129th General Assembly 70
of the State of Ohio, urge the President of the United States to 71
direct the Secretary of USDOE to give strong consideration to the 72
request made by the Southern Ohio Clean Energy Park Alliance for 73
federal funding assistance for the Clean Energy Park Demonstration 74
Project in Piketon, Ohio; and be it further 75

       RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives 76
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the 77
President of the United States, the Secretary of the United States 78
Department of Energy, the members of the Ohio Congressional 79
delegation, the Governor of Ohio, the Board of Pike County 80
Commissioners, and the news media of Ohio. 81

WHEREAS, USEC, Inc. is a global and leading supplier of	10
enriched uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants; and	11

WHEREAS, USEC currently operates the American Centrifuge	12
Demonstration Facility in Piketon, Ohio, that develops next	13
generation uranium enrichment technology; and	14

WHEREAS, The United States Department of Energy (USDOE)	15
currently is considering USEC's application for a federal loan	16
guarantee for the construction of its American Centrifuge Plant in	17
Piketon; and	18

WHEREAS, USEC and the Ohio General Assembly believe that the	19
American Centrifuge Plant project has met the financial and	20
technical requirements of the USDOE's Loan Guarantee Program as	21
well as President Obama's policy objectives for energy security	22
and climate change goals and that the plant has demonstrated with	23
confidence that it is technologically ready to transition to	24
commercial operation; and	25

WHEREAS, The construction and operation of the American	26
Centrifuge Plant will create up to an estimated 8,000 jobs,	27
approximately half of which will be in Ohio; and	28

WHEREAS, USDOE's failure to grant a loan guarantee will force	29
USEC, at a critical time in Ohio's economy, to demobilize its	30
American Centrifuge Plant uranium enrichment project jeopardizing	31
the expansion efforts at the Piketon plant and resulting in job	32
losses in Ohio and several other states; and	33

WHEREAS, President Obama has expressed his support for the	34
American Centrifuge Plant when campaigning in Ohio; and	35

WHEREAS, In a separate effort, USEC, the Southern Ohio	36
Diversification Initiative, and power developers have joined to	37
form the Southern Ohio Clean Energy Park Alliance for the purpose	38
of pursuing the proposed development of a Clean Energy Park	39
Demonstration Project at the USDOE site in Piketon and to support	40
reindustrialization and asset reutilization as the cleanup work at	41
this site nears completion; and	42

WHEREAS, The Alliance proposes to evaluate the Portsmouth	43
Gaseous Diffusion Plant site in Piketon as a potential location	44
for a new nuclear power plant and include in the evaluation both a	45
plant siting study and the preparation of licensing documents for	46
submission to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission as	47
part of its Early Site Permit process; and	48

WHEREAS, A Generation III+ nuclear power reactor located at	49
this site, would create over 2,000 construction jobs with an	50
estimated payroll of $1.2 billion over six years and add	51
approximately 500 permanent professional and technical jobs to the	52
region without producing carbon emissions; and	53

WHEREAS, A shared funding approach between the USDOE and the	54
Alliance is an appropriate method of funding this multi-billion	55
dollar project due to possible environmental contamination at the	56
Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site, and whereby, under this	57
approach, the USDOE would fund the preparation of the Early Site	58
Permit and the Combined Operating License Application, and then	59
the Alliance would fund the nuclear power plant project as it	60
progresses; and	61

WHEREAS, The USDOE has the authority to direct federal funds	62
toward projects such as the Clean Energy Park Demonstration	63
Project; now therefore be it	64

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 129th General Assembly	65
of the State of Ohio, urge the President of the United States to	66
direct the Secretary of USDOE to award USEC, at the earliest	67
opportunity, the federal loan guarantee for which it applied; and	68
be it further	69

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 129th General Assembly	70
of the State of Ohio, urge the President of the United States to	71
direct the Secretary of USDOE to give strong consideration to the	72
request made by the Southern Ohio Clean Energy Park Alliance for	73
federal funding assistance for the Clean Energy Park Demonstration	74
Project in Piketon, Ohio; and be it further	75

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives	76
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the	77
President of the United States, the Secretary of the United States	78
Department of Energy, the members of the Ohio Congressional	79
delegation, the Governor of Ohio, the Board of Pike County	80
Commissioners, and the news media of Ohio.	81