The Paducah-Area Community Reuse Organization, or PACRO, Executive Committee is entering into administrative contract negotiations with the McCracken County Fiscal Court.
PACRO, which is designed to help mitigate the effects of the closure at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, voted to accept the county’s proposal and a five-person committee will now await the Fiscal Court’s approval for negotiations to occur.
McCracken County Judge Executive Van Newberry says he believes the county is the best entity suited to take over management efforts because it serves the soon-to-be laid off workers more than anyone else.
"I think most people do know that the majority of workers out at the DOE facility – whether they work for USEC or are contractors out there – over 60 percent of those workers live in McCracken County," he said.
Newberry stressed that much of McCracken County’s administrative efforts would mirror PACRO’s former administrator, but a stronger emphasis would be placed on a facility reuse plan at the site.
The Fiscal Court will hold a special session to discuss the contract Monday. PACRO leaders say they will announce another meeting shortly afterward to review any possible submitted contract.
Shortly afterward, the Administrative Contract Committee recommend that the Executive Committee accept Flora Corporation’s bid to perform a $200,000 facility reuse plan that will emphasize the assets available at the plant site.
Several members have expressed concern that, without a plan to submit to the Department of Energy, which owns the site, the plant may go years without use.
