In 1998, legislation was enacted requiring the Department of Energy (Department) to
convert the 794,000 metric tons of depleted uranium hexafluoride stored at its gaseous
diffusion plants to a more stable form. In August 2002, the Department awarded a
contract to IJranium Disposition Services, LLC for the design, construction, and
operation of conirersion facilities in Paducah, Kentucky and Portsmouth, Ohio. The
Paducah facility was designed with four conversion lines to process its larger inventory
o-f depleted uranium hexafluoride, while the Portsmouth facility was designed with three
lincs. The Department expected that it would takz approximately 25 years to convert all
of the depleted uranium hexafluoride to a more stable form.
