Paducah

The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) was constructed in 1952 to produce enriched uranium, initially for the nation’s nuclear weapons program and later for nuclear fuel for commercial power plants. The plant is owned by the Department of Energy (DOE), which oversees environmental cleanup activities at the site, including environmental remediation, waste management, depleted uranium conversion, and decontamination and decommissioning. From 1993 to 2013, the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) leased plant facilities to conduct gaseous diffusion operations. In October 2014, USEC returned the facilities to the DOE Environmental Management (EM) program for cleanup and disposition.

• Ensuring sufficient cleanup funds are provided to the community

• Utilizing the site for future economic development efforts

City of Paducah

McCracken County

Paducah Area Community Reuse Organization

• Mission: PACRO is tasked with mitigating the impact of the closure of the PGDP in western McCracken County, KY. Its mission includes promoting the site and surrounding acreage for future economic development and pushing for federal clean-up dollars to reduce the footprint of the uranium enrichment facilities.

• Contact: Greg Wiles, PACRO Executive Director, pacropaducah@gmail.com

Paducah Citizens Advisory Board (CAB)

• Mission: The Paducah Citizens Advisory Board provides informed, independent advice and recommendations to DOE regarding environmental restoration, waste management, future land use, risk assessment, clean-up technologies, and related site activities. The CAB is a nonpartisan, representative organization consisting of members with diverse interests and concerns related to PGDP cleanup activities.

• Contact: Eric Roberts, Project Director, eric@pgdpcab.org; Phone: (270) 554-3004

Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership, LLC (FRNP) – Deactivation & Remediation

• FRNP is made up of CH2M, BWXT, and Fluor.

Swift & Staley – Infrastructure

Mid-America Conversion Services, LLC (MCS) – DUF6 Conversion

• MCS is made up of Atkins, Westinghouse Government Services (WGS), and Fluor Federal Services, Inc.

Pro2Serve – Technical Services

Federal Government

• U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

• U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)

• U.S. Rep. James Comer (R) (KY-01)

State Government

• Governor Andy Beshear (D)

• State Sen. Danny Carroll (R) (District 2)

• State Rep. Randy Bridges (D) (District 3)

Local Government

• Paducah Mayor George P. Bray

• McCracken County Judge Executive Craig Clymer

City of Paducah

• Pam Spencer, Communications Manager

  • Phone: (270) 444-8669; Email: pspencer@paducahky.gov

Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO)

• Phone: (859) 219-4035; Email: PublicAffairs.PPPO@pppo.gov

• Special Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel

• Facility Deactivation and Decommissioning

In March 2024, the Office of Environmental Management released a Strategic Vision for 2024-2034.

Planned Cleanup Scope 2024–2034

In 2024, the Paducah site will dispose of another 1 million pounds of R-114 refrigerant, complete construction of the C-211 Training Facility, finalize disposition of 11 associated trailers/sheds/tanks and other structures/equipment, and complete LED street lighting upgrades — a DOE sustainability initiative.

The full Paducah Strategic Vision is available here.

Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) has a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to process uranium stored from past activities at the former DOE Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. GLE acquired a 665-acre site adjacent to the former DOE plant for the new facility and the company plans to submit their license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in mid-2025. If constructed, the facility will produce approximately 5 million pounds of uranium annually, accounting for about 10% of the country’s uranium demand. The first-of-a-kind project would construct the first laser enrichment facility in the world.

US uranium enrichment startup General Matter has signed a lease with the U.S. Department of Energy for the reuse of federal land at the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky for a new commercial uranium enrichment facility. General Matter acquired 100-acres of land at the site and provides the company with a minimum of 7,600 cylinders of existing uranium hexafluoride to supply fuel for the future re-enrichment operations. Construction of the new plant is expected to begin in 2026 with operations planned for 2034.