Sprague — Job-retraining money has been approved for about 145 Fusion Paperboard workers laid off in a plant closing.

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, and state Sen. Cathy Osten made the announcement Monday that the U.S. Department of Labor had approved a petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance for the displaced workers, who learned in July that their jobs were in jeopardy. Fusion Paperboard, which closed last week, was the town’s largest taxpayer, contributing about $250,000 to the rolls last year.

“TAA provides crucial transitional support and job retraining that will help get Fusion workers back on the job with the skills they need to be successful,” Courtney said in a statement. “After the sudden closure of Fusion, this is an important step in the recovery process for both the workforce and the town of Sprague.”

The Fusion closure became a campaign issue when Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley came to the plant to blame Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s economic policies for leading to the closure. A video of the event showed Osten, who also serves Sprague as first selectman, confronting Foley and harking back to his own role in the closure of a textile manufacturer in Bibb, Ga.

Courtney said he wrote a letter to U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez in August backing the displaced-worker petition. The assistance is given to workers who lose their jobs because of trade imbalances, and money can be used for job retraining, job search, relocation, income support and health care.

The announced closure of the paperboard plant came a year after the state Department of Economic and Community Development announced a $3 million, low-interest loan for Fusion to expand operations and create 20 new jobs. The state has said it plans to seek a $150,000 penalty from Fusion for its sudden closure, in addition to continued repayment of the loan.

l.howard@theday.com

Twitter: @KingstonLeeHow