Portsmouth 101 Video 2021
Office of Environmental Management
In August 1952, the Atomic Energy Commission, a predecessor agency to DOE, selected a tract of land in the Ohio Valley along the Scioto River in Pike County, Ohio, for the site of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (GDP), the third of three GDPs in the United States. In 1956, the plant began enriching uranium for nuclear weapons. In the 1960s, Portsmouth’s mission changed to focus on producing fuel for commercial nuclear power plants and other national security applications. An extensive environmental cleanup program began at the 3,777-acre site in 1989, with deactivation and decommissioning activities initiated in 2011. Watch the video above to learn more about Portsmouth.
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Major Contractor(s)
- Enterprise Technical Assistance Services, Inc. (ETAS)
- Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth, LLC
- Mid-America Conversion Services, LLC
- Portsmouth Mission Alliance, LLC

Demolition of the Portsmouth X-326 Process Building started in May 2021.
Portsmouth News
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EM has selected Reinhard Knerr, manager of the Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO), to serve as deputy manager of the Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO) in Lexington, Kentucky, effective Jan. 29.
January 17, 2023
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EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White recently joined elected officials, local stakeholders and nearly 2,000 employees at the Portsmouth Site to celebrate the gaseous diffusion plant’s 70th anniversary.
December 6, 2022
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EM’s Portsmouth Site recently evaluated the use of electric mowers to provide a safer, greener future for grounds maintenance activities.
December 6, 2022
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EM’s Portsmouth Site marked its 70th anniversary on Monday with its “Past, Present, Future” celebration.
November 22, 2022
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Most people may never get the opportunity to work with family members, but it’s been a harmonious family affair for a trio of brothers at the Portsmouth Site, who have worked together closely for the past 10 years.
November 22, 2022
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EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO) sites in Portsmouth, Ohio and Paducah, Kentucky recently wrapped up their 2022 public tour campaigns, which garnered high interest from the public.
November 8, 2022
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Both of EM’s conversion plants that recycle depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6) to safer and more beneficial products are back in business with improved safety and sustainability measures following a COVID-19 operational pause.
October 25, 2022
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EM’s Portsmouth Site recently brought back the Science Alliance, an event offering students a hands-on approach to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), following a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
October 18, 2022
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EM’s Portsmouth Site has gone by more than one name — locals often refer to it as “A-Plant,” for example — and a variety of contractors have worked on the cleanup there over the past 70 years.
October 11, 2022
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Crews at EM's Portsmouth Site recently finished excavating the first of five legacy landfills whose soil will be used to support the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility (OSWDF).
October 4, 2022
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