Crews have safely demolished six unused facilities at the Paducah Site ahead of schedule and under budget in the current fiscal year. August 5, 2025
Office of Environmental Management
August 5, 2025
minute read time
Demolition crews clear a former storage location-turned-office building to reduce the surveillance and maintenance of unused facilities at the Paducah Site.
PADUCAH, Ky. — Crews have safely demolished six unused facilities at the Paducah Site ahead of schedule and under budget in the current fiscal year ending Sept. 30, reducing the cleanup footprint by more than 19,000 square feet and supporting future reuse of land and economic development.
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management team at Paducah has torn down more than 180 structures to date since cleanup began — a footprint of 560,000 square feet.
This deliberate, strategic work is enabling the safe cleanup and future demolition of the site’s former uranium enrichment facilities. As the Paducah Site looks ahead, each step of cleanup strengthens the foundation for future land transfer and reindustrialization, creating new opportunities for the community.
“This work represents more than demolition,” Portsmouth Paducah Project Office Manager Joel Bradburne said. “It’s a crucial part of our commitment to the community to prepare the site for safe, productive reuse. Every facility removed brings us closer to that vision.”
Crews prepare a legacy building for demolition. It’s one of six facilities demolished at the Paducah Site in fiscal year 2025.
The crews responsible for demolition collaborated with engineering and waste management personnel to adapt their approach and find creative solutions, highlighting the value of teamwork and flexibility on a dynamic cleanup site.
Thorough predemolition assessments resulted in more than $1 million in cost savings for packaging and disposition of the more than 50,000 cubic feet of debris that resulted from demolition of the six facilities in fiscal year 2025. Waste engineers employed a surgical-like approach to identifying and surveying debris to ensure it met requirements for disposition, reducing costs by using the site’s sanitary landfill and segregating regulated waste.
“This year’s success is a result of innovative thinking, collaboration and a shared focus on the future,” Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership (FRNP) Program Manager Myrna Redfield said. “Our team continues to make progress supporting long term site transformation.”
FRNP is the deactivation and remediation contractor at the Paducah Site. Demolition of unused facilities is part of EM’s ongoing environmental cleanup at the site, conducted in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.
-Contributor: Dylan Nichols
To receive the latest news and updates about the Office of Environmental Management, submit your e-mail address.