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 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which oversees environmental cleanup activities at the site. This includes 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.

• Ensure cleanup funds are available to support an accelerated cleanup approach, meet regulatory requirements and maintain a strong health and safety posture.

• Create a master plan that incorporates strategic alignment with current site missions and supports growing expansion as cleanup is completed.

• Promote the existing assets within the Paducah community and the DOE site to expand energy and economic development.

City of Paducah

McCracken County

‍ Paducah Area Community Reuse Organization (PACRO)

• ‍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: Jason Lawrence, PACRO Executive Director, pacropaducah@gmail.com

‍Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce

• Mission: The Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce brings together the collective vision of area businesses, community partners, elected officials, young professionals, youth, educators, non-profit organizations and engaged citizens to work cooperatively for the future. The chamber is conducting a study focused on the Paducah Site called “Preparing the Roadmap for the Future.” When complete, it will present detailed strategies for property reuse, industry recruitment and community engagement.

• Contact: Sandra Wilson, Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce President/CEO, swilson@paducahchamber.org; Phone: (270) 443-1746

Greater Paducah Economic Development

• Mission: The mission of Greater Paducah Economic Development is to proactively recruit and support companies that provide high-quality, high-paying jobs for the region. Just as PACRO promotes the Paducah Site and surrounding acreage for future economic development, so does the Greater Paducah Economic Development organization.

• Contact: Bruce Wilcox, President/CEO, Bruce@EPaducah.Com; Phone: (270) 575-6633

‍ 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

Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority

• ‍Mission: The Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority was established by the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly. Their mission is to serve as the nonregulatory, trusted state government agency on nuclear energy issues and development in Kentucky. They also support and facilitate the development of the nuclear energy ecosystem across the Commonwealth in a collaborative manner that: enhances the Commonwealth's economy; offers energy production and economic development opportunities that are safe; protects the environment across the Commonwealth; supports community voices, especially in underrepresented or historically impacted areas; increases energy education; and prepares a future workforce. Their members include people with experience in nuclear site remediation and local elected officials from the Paducah, Kentucky, area.

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

FRNP is made up of Amentum, Fluor and BWXT.

North Wind Dynamics  – Infrastructure Support Services

Mission Conversion Services Alliance– DUF6 Conversion and Operations and Site Mission Support

• Mission Conversion Services Alliance is made up of Atkins, Westinghouse and Amentum.

‍Enterprise Technical Assistance Services – Technical Support 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. Steven Rudy (R) (District 1)

• State Rep. Kim Holloway (R) (District 2)

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

• State Rep. Chris Freeland (R) (District 6)

‍ 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

Paducah expects a shift in focus over the next 10 years with restructuring of the regulatory framework to accelerate cleanup by making a waste disposal decision, beginning process building demolition and addressing key environmental hazards. At the DUF6 Conversion Facility, stabilizing DUF6 from decades of legacy enrichment operations into depleted uranium oxide, increasing plant reliability and throughput, conducting routine depleted uranium oxide shipments for off-site disposal and working with commercial organizations on beneficial reuse will continue.

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 Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. GLE acquired a 665-acre parcel adjacent to the DOE Paducah Site for the new facility. The company received application acceptance from the National Regulatory Commission to license the Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility (PLEF) in 2025. Once constructed, PLEF 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.

U.S. uranium enrichment startup General Matter 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 to supply fuel for future re-enrichment operations with 7,600 cylinders minimum of existing uranium hexafluoride. Construction of the new plant is expected to begin in 2026 with operations planned for 2034.