WASHINGTON — The United States Senate has passed new funding for clean-up of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon.

The $266 million in funding, which is $40 million more than was allocated last year, was passed by the chamber on Thursday as apart of an energy and water appropriations package.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has worked for the decontamination and decommissioning funding for the plant.

“This is a good step toward maintaining local jobs at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and keeping cleanup efforts on track so the site can attract future investment,” Brown said in a news release. “These jobs are critical to Piketon and southern Ohio and I’ll continue efforts to protect them.”

Ohio’s junior senator, Republican Rob Portman, also praised the funding, which he said will maintain employment levels at the plant.

“I’m committed to ensuring there are adequate resources for the cleanup work at Portsmouth, and I’m pleased the Senate passed this funding today,” Portman said in a news release. “The cleanup project in Portsmouth is an important component of economic development in Southern Ohio.”

The plant, which previously produced weapons grade uranium for atomic energy and nuclear weapons, is in shutdown status.