Leaders from the Portsmouth Site recently met with representatives from the Ohio Nuclear Development Authority during their first visit to the Portsmouth Site. August 19, 2025
Office of Environmental Management
August 19, 2025
minute read time
Ohio Nuclear Development Authority members pose for a photo at the Portsmouth Site On-Site Waste Disposal Facility during a recent tour.
PIKETON, Ohio — Leaders from the Portsmouth Site recently met with representatives from the Ohio Nuclear Development Authority (ONDA) during their first visit to the Portsmouth Site.
The visit underscored the Portsmouth Site’s growing role in the nation’s energy renaissance and its prime location for reindustrialization in conjunction with the local community’s vision.
ONDA is a governor-appointed board Ohio lawmakers established in 2023 to boost research and development of advanced nuclear reactors, commercial isotope production, and nuclear waste reduction and storage technology.
The board seeks to foster innovative partnerships in the state — including Ohio’s public institutions of higher education, private companies, federal laboratories and nonprofit organizations — to accomplish those goals.
ONDA has a unique interest in the Portsmouth Site and has engaged the community to prepare resources for a future workforce.
“Visiting the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, I was struck by the scale and progress of the cleanup efforts. What was once an enormous industrial complex tied to the uranium enrichment has been transformed and ready for future industrial reuse,” said Lei Raymond Cao, ONDA board member and professor at The Ohio State University. “It's a powerful example of how long term vision and sustained investment can turn legacy nuclear sites into opportunities for regional revitalization.”
Portsmouth Site Lead Jeremy Davis, center, conducts a tour of the Portsmouth Site for members of the Ohio Nuclear Development Authority. The group discussed the legacy of the Portsmouth Site and the role the site will play in America’s energy future.
Portsmouth Site Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer Alicia (Ali) Walls was raised in Pike County and is one of the original ONDA members appointed in August 2024.
“The Portsmouth Site has always been important to the local community as both a source of jobs but also a point of pride with its role in the Cold War,” Walls said. “Now, we are looking forward to creating a new nuclear industry in Ohio that will support the area in the future.”
As cleanup accelerates and progress continues toward transferring the fourth parcel of land at the Portsmouth Site for reuse, stakeholders like ONDA are partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) and the community to ensure Piketon, Ohio, is part of the future of energy.
“We have known from the start of our cleanup activities that reindustrialization of the site is an important goal for the community,” Portsmouth Site Lead Jeremy Davis said. “ONDA and other parties interested in the future of the site will play an important role as we continue to assist the community in realizing their vision.”
In addition to the strategic partnerships with ONDA, EM supports reindustrialization studies with local organizations to generate a roadmap that identifies pathways for commercial development and fosters workforce growth for the site and the region.
The Portsmouth Paducah Project Office conducts cleanup activities at the Portsmouth Site in accordance with a consent decree with the state of Ohio and director’s final findings and orders with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
-Contributor: Melissa Green
To receive the latest news and updates about the Office of Environment Management, submit your e-mail address.