The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have agreed upon a plan for the disposition of more than two million cubic yards of waste that would be generated from the decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Ohio.  Ohio EPA’s concurrence with the Record of Decision (ROD) prepared by DOE comes after a multi-year regulatory process that included frequent engagement with elected officials, community groups and other stakeholders.  DOE received public comments during a four-month public comment period that ended in March 2015 and included a local public meeting in November 2014.
        
The plan calls for a combination of on-site and off-site waste disposition and the construction of an On-Site Waste Disposal Facility (OSWDF) in the northeast corner of the DOE reservation.  The Waste Disposition ROD allows the compliant on-site disposal of all waste materials generated from the cleanup of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant that meet the waste acceptance criteria approved by Ohio EPA for the facility.  Waste not meeting the requirements will be shipped from the plant for compliant disposal at appropriate, licensed off-site federal or commercial disposal facilities.  Recycling of waste materials from non-radiological areas is also considered in the decision.  The ROD also evaluates the possible excavation of the five existing groundwater contamination plumes and landfills inside the plant’s developable area as the primary sources of the soil fill required to properly dispose of the demolition debris in the OSWDF.  Additionally, the decision considers the potential reindustrialization by the community of the plant’s current industrial footprint.

The ROD will help ensure safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible site cleanup.

To view the ROD for the Portsmouth Site-Wide Waste Disposition Evaluation Project, see below.