Pike County to get $20 million for new middle school
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pike County is getting federal funding to replace Zahn's Corner Middle School as part of the $1.7 trillion spending package, which was passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden recently.
The funds — allocated to the U.S. Department of Energy — are intended to replace the now-closed Zahn’s Corner Middle School, which was shuttered in 2019 following evidence of radiological contamination registered on nearby Department of Energy air monitors.
The bill also includes several items that would benefit Pike County as it relates to the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS).
The measures in the funding bill benefiting Pike County and surrounding areas include:
$20,000,000 for community-focused education and training opportunities and economic development initiatives for the area around PORTS which is intended to be used to build a new school
$500,000 to maintain community liaison activities and provide technical and regulatory assistance to the local community and surrounding counties.
Requirement for a report to the Appropriations Committee on the Department of Energy’s efforts to recycle over 20,000 tons of high-grade nickel from decommissioned uranium enrichment plants.
A directive to the Department of Energy to report air and groundwater testing results in a timely and transparent manner.
"Pike County has one of the highest rates of cancer in the state of Ohio. While no amount of federal funding can replace the lives lost and the sacrifices made by this community for its decades of service toward America’s national security, this funding nonetheless represents an important step towards ensuring the children of Pike County receive a quality education in sound facilities," said Congressman Tim Ryan in a news release. "I’m proud to secure this important reinvestment into Southern Ohio. This would not have happened without the collective efforts of my Ohio Delegation colleagues as well as the Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Joe Manchin, who personally traveled to Piketon, met with community members, and took up this cause.”
As a member of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Ryan has advocated in Congress and to the White House for the safe decommissioning of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and investment in good-paying jobs in Pike County and the surrounding region.
In May 2021, Ryan pressed U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in Congress to meet with Pike County community leaders to discuss the challenges the community faces due to further open-air demolition of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and the enormous potential the 3,700-acre plant holds as an advanced energy hub if the cleanup is done with integrity and transparency.
In July 2021, Ryan announced he had successfully secured $500,000 and several additional measures in a House Energy and Water spending bill with Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur that would benefit the community of Piketon and Pike County.
“Families shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not the schools their children attend are safe,” said U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown. “This investment will ensure that students in Pike County have a safe place to study and help the Pike County community continue the region’s economic revitalization.”
In January 2022, Ryan took to the House floor, calling on the federal government to deliver the residents of Pike County, home to the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site (PORTS), the money they are owed for their integral role in our nation's efforts to win the Cold War.
In May 2022, Ryan brought Energy and Water Appropriations Chairwoman Marcy Kaptur to tour the PORTS where they met with workers at the Plant and representatives of the Scioto Valley Council of Governments (COG) and Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI). During the meetings, Ryan discussed his ongoing efforts to ensure transparency at the Department of Energy while supporting cleanup at the site, as well as efforts to transform Pike County and Southern Ohio into an advanced energy hub.
Most recently, in October 2022, Ryan brought Senator Joe Manchin to Piketon to meet with families and school officials affected by cancer and the closure of Zahn’s Corner Middle School. Ryan and Manchin also toured the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant where they were briefed on the work to decommission and demolish the plant.
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Pike County to get $20 million for new middle school
