Lawmakers Want Plant To Remain Open

{Paducah, Kentucky}...About 1,200 workers are in danger of losing their jobs if the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant closes later this year. U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield and Senators Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell met with U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu Friday in an effort to keep Paducah's government-owned nuclear enrichment plant operating.. They want the Energy Department to allow the plant to re-enrich its leftover uranium so it can be sold on the market. The lawmakers said Chu vowed to explore all avenues to save the workers' jobs and laid out multiple short-term options for the plant. Chu committed to work toward an agreement in the next 30 days.