Whitfield Wants More Answers From Department of Energy | News | Congressman Ed Whitfield

News | Congressman Ed Whitfield | United States Representative

Whitfield Wants More Answers From Department of Energy Mar 2, 2006 U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, wrote Thursday to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel A. Bodman demanding answers to three issues of importance to workers at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant: pension portability, retiree pension COLAs, and the proposed sale of nickel at the Paducah site.

Whitfields inquiry comes after a January 12 letter from DOE asserting that the Department is not bound to ensure that USEC hourly workers will continue to be able to participate or transfer into employee pension and health plans managed by contractors at the Paducah plant. DOE witnesses called to testify at a January 19 field hearing, which Whitfield held in Paducah, failed to produce a satisfactory response regarding the Departments continuing opposition to pension portability for workers at the Paducah plant. Whitfield authored provisions in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 protecting workers' pension portability and wants to know why the Department has not yet taken steps to implement the provisions as intended by Congress.

The letter also faults DOE over its treatment of retiree pensioners at the Paducah plant. Whitfield criticized DOE for not providing a representative knowledgeable in retiree issues to participate in a February 4 meeting Whitfield held with retirees of the Paducah plant at the United Steelworkers Local 5-550 Union Hall. Whitfield wants an explanation for why workers at the Oak Ridge, TN plant are receiving cost-of-living-adjustments (COLAs) for their pensions while workers at the Paducah and Portsmouth, OH plants are not.

In addition, Whitfield again weighed in on the Departments proposal to lift the moratorium on the sale of 9,700 tons of nickel at the Paducah site. The recently awarded environmental cleanup contract requires the new contractor to make proposals to DOE for alternate uses of the nickel by July 30, 2006. In the event the moratorium is lifted, Whitfield reiterated his hope that a portion of the net proceeds be remitted to the community of Paducah to mitigate the impact of job losses following the closure of the plant.

"These issues are very important to me and the workers in the Paducah community," said Whitfield. "The workers deserve to have their concerns addressed by the Department, each of which directly impacts their livelihood and their families' future security. I look forward to the Secretary's reply, and I am hopeful that the Department will work with us in addressing our concerns."

Whitfield will also raise these issues when Secretary Bodman testifies on the FY 07 budget before the Energy and Commerce Committee on March 9th.

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