The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) was constructed in 1952 to produce enriched uranium, initially for the nation’s nuclear weapons program and later for nuclear fuel for commercial power plants. The plant is owned by the Department of Energy (DOE), which oversees environmental cleanup activities at the site, including environmental remediation, waste management, depleted uranium conversion, and decontamination and decommissioning. Commercial enrichment was conducted under lease from 1993 until 2013 when operations ceased and the gaseous diffusion facilities were returned to the DOE Environmental Management (EM) program. EM has conducted extensive cleanup activities at the site since the late 1980s and is currently deactivating the returned plant facilities while continuing the aggressive remediation program being managed by its Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office.
Paducah News
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The Trump Administration is Bringing New Power Online, Lowering Energy Prices, Creating Thousands of Jobs, and Modernizing Infrastructure in Southern OhioMarch 20, 2026 -
- Science & Innovation
- Artificial Intelligence
The U.S. Department of Energy, alongside the U.S. Department of Commerce, today announced a unique public-private partnership with SoftBank and AEP Ohio to redevelop DOE land, modernize energy infrastructure, and develop advanced computing in Southern Ohio.March 20, 2026 -
Successful cleanup and reuse efforts underway at the Oak Ridge, Paducah, and Portsmouth sites are vividly illustrating the Office of Environmental Management’s ability to successfully deliver its vision of nuclear restoration and revitalization across the DOE complex, federal and contractor leaders said. March 17, 2026March 17, 2026
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The U.S. Department of Energy’s Portsmouth and Paducah sites recently released annual reports of their environmental monitoring and compliance activities central to cleanup as they transition from nuclear remediation to nuclear renaissance. March 10, 2026March 10, 2026