Independent Assessment of the Fire Protection Program at the Paducah Site
Office of Enterprise Assessments
October 21, 2026
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October 2026,
Independent Assessment of the Fire Protection Program at the Paducah Site
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Enterprise Assessments (EA) conducted an independent assessment of the fire protection program (FPP) at the Paducah Site Building C-333 in February and March 2026. Building C-333 is a hazard category 2 nuclear facility and one of four remaining large cascade facilities formerly used for uranium enrichment at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Deactivation activities in Building C-333 are ongoing in preparation for eventual demolition. The deactivation and remediation contractor is Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership, LLC (FRNP), and the operations and site mission support contractor is Mission Conversion Services Alliance, LLC (MCSA), which provides and manages the FPP. This assessment evaluated the effectiveness of MCSA in managing and maintaining the FPP, including fire and related safety hazards analyses; transitional fire hazards analysis and documented safety analysis integration; fire prevention and protection design requirements; and inspection, testing, and maintenance. This assessment also evaluated the effectiveness of FRNP FPP contractor self-assessment. Federal oversight by the Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO) relating to fire protection was also evaluated.