Piketon Plant

[sfc_oliver]

Strong arm tactics by a Democrat? Naw he's not in our congress, how dare he...


Say Yes To Nuclear Power.

[irishbobcat]

They want to place another Nuke Plant in Piketon, Ohio. The site has been an old dumping waste ground which is very unstable.

This is a post to allow all Ohioans voice their non-support for another Nuke Plant in Ohio that the Governor is trying to strong-arm through!

[Towntalk]

Southern Ohio Neighbors Group

[Rick Rowlands]

As I read this one question pops into my mind... What the heck are they talking about?  THis seems to be something that was meant for distribution to those who have some prior knowlege of this issue and not for distribution to the general public. 

What is a SONG?

[irishbobcat]

Dear SONG supporter,



On Thursday, July 16, a cooling tower at the Piketon federal reservation caught fire, bringing out aerial firefighting crews from neighboring counties. The tower was not being utilized, and the fire was extinguished, but we think the idea of a cooling tower catching fire kinda symbolizes the state of things at Piketon. Perhaps we should call it a sign from above.



We'd like to thank those many of you who sent in letters protesting the sham "Historic Preservation Workshop." Indeed, the event was canceled in response, with vague suggestions of rescheduling for sometime after October.



We believe the attempt to have it in July was intended as stagecraft to suggest that everything is just fine on the "preservation" front, when in fact, DOE is totally out of compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act regarding the project now in the spotlight -- USEC's proposed "American Centrifuge Plant." Though the project is in its fifth year, DOE has never conducted an NHPA Section 106 review of its impacts on historic properties and resources, as required by law.



Meanwhile, USEC is demanding $2 billion in federal loan guarantees, to be delivered no later than August 5, when, coincidentally, USEC is scheduled to report its 2nd quarters earnings, with indications of a potential bombshell on that day. Governor Strickland and Representative Schmidt have formed a tag-team to twist White House arms to extract the funds for USEC before the August 5 deadline.



Some of this is covered in a piece in the Chillicothe Gazette: USEC loan app stirs support, opposition | chillicothegazette.com | Chillicothe Gazette#pluckcomments#pluckcomments  Breathe deep before reading the comments from the lunatic fringe -- then please counter with some sane comments of your own.



As you will read there, one of our principal concerns is for jobs. USEC's occupation of the site for the thirty years its license allows will prevent more constructive and viable redevelopment projects that are compatible with preservation and environmental concerns.



While there are many reasons why the loan guarantees should NOT be granted, the clearest legal argument is the absence of a completed Section 106 review by DOE. After we asked nicely for many months, then pestered shamelessly, DOE has finally declassified the name of the official in charge of compliance review for the USEC loan guarantees. He is Matthew McMillen, 202 586-7248, matthew.mcmillen@hq.doe.gov.



We have tried to contact Mr. McMillen, but have gotten no response. So now Mr. McMillen needs to here from YOU! 



We suggest both phone calls and e-mails, ASAP, given USEC's ultimatum deadline date.





Here is a simple e-mail message you can cut and paste, alter as desired:






To:  matthew.mcmillen@hq.doe.gov

cc:  skip.gosling@hq.doe.gov, dsnyder@ohiohistory.org, tmcculloch@achp.gov, shippsong@aol.com, david.frantz@hq.doe.gov





Matthew McMillen, NEPA Compliance Officer

Office of Loan Guarantees, US Department of Energy



Dear Mr. McMillen,



As a southern Ohio resident concerned about historic preservation, I write to urge you to acknowledge that DOE has never conducted a valid Section 106 review under the National Historic Preservation Act for USEC's centrifuge plant or its Lead Cascade. A valid Section 106 review must include meaningful consultation with knowledgeable and interested parties, and time for review by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The brief review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission only passed the ball to DOE, and DOE dropped that ball.



No federal loan guarantee can be granted to USEC until such a review is conducted and completed. Please contact me and keep me informed as to what your office is doing to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act in regard to the USEC loan guarantees.



Sincerely,





***Be sure to include your mailing address.***





[If you want to send a separate letter generally opposing the loan guarantees, you can send it to: the DOE Secretary of Energy (Steven Chu) The.Secretary@hq.doe.gov, the DOE Loan Guarantee Office david.frantz@hq.doe.gov, and especially to Governor Strickland c/o mark.shanahan@aqda.state.oh.us. Please also copy that to SHIPPSONG@aol.com.]





As it has in the past, YOUR voice can make a huge difference.  Please take a moment to take action!



We'd also like to urge you to attend the next meeting of the Site-Specific Advisory Board at Piketon. It will be on Thursday, August 6 -- Hiroshima Day and one day after the USEC bombshell -- at 6 p.m. at the Endeavor Center south on Shyville Road in Piketon.



Hope you stay cool this summer,



Your neighbors at SONG