The Jackson Sun supported Sen. Finney’s efforts to protect jobs at the Milan arsenal in a June 24 editorial. The text of the editorial is below.
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BREDESEN RIGHT TO HELP SAVE ARSENAL JOBS
JACKSON SUN, June 24
Gov. Phil Bredesen is right to join the fight to save 500 jobs at the Milan Arsenal. He will submit a letter requesting that munitions production jobs at the arsenal be kept there. He also is requesting another independent, third-party study be completed of the environmental impact of the changes proposed at the arsenal. Every effort must be made to preserve these jobs in a rural community already reeling from long-term double-digit unemployment.
Bredesen has worked hard to bring thousands of jobs to Tennessee during nearly eight years as governor. He says he will work just as hard to keep them.
American Ordnance is the private contractor that operates the munitions manufacturing facility at the arsenal to produce ammunition for the U.S. Army. The facility has been recognized as a top-notch production facility for years. The unique munitions manufacturing procedures and skills of arsenal workers are not easily transferred to other jobs, even if they were available, which they are not.
State Sen. Lowe Finney and U.S. Rep. John Tanner have led the way in fighting for the arsenal jobs. Other state lawmakers who represent the area also have joined the fight. Adding Bredesen to the mix ensures their requests will be taken seriously and that state lawmakers and the Milan-Gibson County communities are not going to sit by while 500 jobs disappear.
The initial report provided by American Ordnance to the Army indicated the proposed changes would have little impact. But lawmakers argued that the report lacked details. For a rural community the size of Milan, the loss of 500 jobs cannot be taken lightly. It would be disastrous to the local economy.
Another part of the arsenal proposal is that future use of the facility would be for storage of depleted uranium. Turning the arsenal into a dumping ground for radioactive waste is a poor tradeoff for losing 500 manufacturing jobs. The arsenal already has spent years fighting for remediation of ground water contamination and other environmental hazards from many earlier munitions operations at the facility dating back to World War II. The idea that it would now be used to store radioactive waste is unacceptable.
Bredesen had a teleconference call with area lawmakers this week and pledged his help. He is a lawmaker who has the ear and the respect of lawmakers and government officials in Washington. His help on this issue is welcome and much needed.