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. Commercial enrichment was conducted under lease from 1993 until 2013 when operations ceased and the gaseous diffusion facilities were returned to the DOE Environmental Management (EM) program. EM has conducted extensive cleanup activities at the site since the late 1980s and is currently deactivating the returned plant facilities while continuing the aggressive remediation program being managed by its Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office.
The goal of the Environmental Cleanup Program is to evaluate and take appropriate actions to ensure protection of human health and the environment....
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The Paducah Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) provides informed, independent advice and recommendations to DOE regarding environmental restoration, was...
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DOE has been actively pursuing the environmental cleanup goals at Paducah and Portsmouth sites since 1989. After environmental cleanup activities ...
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DOE encourages students to excel in mathematics and science and to pursue careers in these fields, including through efforts highlighted on this page.
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Paducah Area Students Address ‘Fast Fashion’ at EcoThink Event
April 16, 2024
Local high school students from western Kentucky and southern Illinois put their problem-solving skills to the test during the annual EcoThink project, challenging themselves to address environmental and sustainability issues through critical thinking exercises focused on teamwork and engineering concepts.
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Paducah Community Members, DOE Leaders Set Sights on Clean Energy Future
March 12, 2024
Community leaders from Paducah, Kentucky, met with leaders from EM and DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) last week to discuss the path forward for making Paducah a “Nuclear Ready Community.”
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Paducah Site Celebrates Women’s Contributions in New Video
March 5, 2024
Each March, EM takes an opportunity to celebrate and highlight the extraordinary achievements and contributions of women across the DOE complex.
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Calloway County Middle School Advances to DOE National Science Bowl
February 13, 2024
Calloway County Middle School Team #1 on Friday won DOE’s West Kentucky Regional Science Bowl, an event recognized as the region’s most notable science competition for middle school students.
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