In 1950, the Atomic Energy Commission, a predecessor agency to DOE, selected a 3,556-acre tract of government-owned land near Paducah, Kentucky, as the location to construct a second gaseous diffusion uranium enrichment plant (GDP) to support US national security needs. The Paducah GDP enriched uranium from 1952 to 2013 and was the last government-owned uranium enrichment facility operating in the United States. The Paducah GDP produced low-enriched uranium originally as feedstock for nuclear weapons materials and later for commercial nuclear power plants. Watch the video below to learn more about Paducah.
Paducah News
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As the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management works to enable American energy and security, innovative approaches and strong partnerships at the Portsmouth and Paducah sites drive efforts to transform liabilities into assets to help unleash nuclear power.September 30, 2025
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September 30, 2025 The more than 80 community leaders who took part in the recent Paducah Chamber of Commerce Fly-In discussed environmental cleanup progress, upcoming project milestones and long term planning for reindustrialization of the Paducah Site with members of Kentucky’s congressional delegation and U.S. Department of Energy leaders.September 30, 2025
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U.S. Department of Energy officials and Paducah, Kentucky, community members take part in a meeting of the annual Paducah Chamber of Commerce Fly-In. September 23, 2025September 23, 2025
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The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Paducah Site has incorporated amateur radio into a drill for its emergency management program. September 23, 2025September 23, 2025
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U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management crews recently reached a historic milestone of over 40 million safe hours at the Savannah River Site and received an award from the National Safety Council at the Paducah Site. September 16, 2025September 16, 2025
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The National Safety Council has awarded the deactivation and remediation contractor at the Paducah Site its Million Work Hours Award, reflecting the safe completion of some of the most complex and challenging work at the site. September 9, 2025September 9, 2025
Reinhard Knerr is the Acting Manager of the Department of Energy's Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO). In this role, he oversees the deactivation and demolition of the former gaseous diffusion facilities at the Portsmouth, Ohio and Paducah, Kentucky sites, and the Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride (DUF6) Conversion Project at both locations.
Click here to view full bio.
High-Level Budget Information
FY24 Enacted (in the millions) | FY24 Enacted (in the millions) | FY25 Requested (in the millions) | FY25 Enacted (in the millions) | FY26 Requested (in the millions) |
| $304 | $334 | $330 | $344 | $332 |
For more information on the Office of Environmental Management's budget process and performance check out the Budget & Performance page.