The Kentucky House of Representatives votes 65-28 to approve the Senate-passed bill, which sets out a stiff set of regulations should a company desire to locate a nuclear plant in the state.
"Should this bill become law, as a matter of fact, it will take a decade or more - probably decades - before an applicant could possibly wade through the regulatory environment," Rep. Rudy said.
Rep. Gerald Watkins said one benefit would be a large number of workers needed.
Watkins said, "Typical construction of a new plant would create 3,500 construction jobs, and the current average is approximately 1,000 permanent jobs."
Construction could total $470 million in economic impact to a local community.
Opponents of the measure fear lifting the moratorium due to the Maxey Flats nuclear waste dump in Fleming County that leaked low level nuclear waste and became a Super Fund Clean-up Site.
Rep. Jim Gooch of Providence said, "While I don't really belive that this bill does that much to really affect coal, I think it's a kick in the teeth that our coal industry shouldn't be facing right now."
