Paducah Site Description

You are here

Home » Paducah Site » Paducah Site Background » Paducah Site Description
The 3,556-acre Paducah Site is located in western Kentucky

The 3,556-acre Paducah Site is located in western Kentucky

Paducah state Map
The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion (PGDP) Site is located in McCracken County, Kentucky, 10 miles west of the city of Paducah.  

The plant is located on a 3,556-acre DOE site, of which approximately 750 acres are within the fenced security area. The PGDP footprint has more than 500 facilities, 19 miles of roadway, and 5 miles of fence. The plant has its own water treatment plant, post office, and medical facility.  Approximately 2,000 acres are licensed to the Commonwealth of Kentucky as part of the West Kentucky Wildlife Management Area for recreational activities and conservation. Until shutdown of the enrichment process in 2013, the PGDP operated primarily in four large cascade process buildings that enriched uranium by the gaseous diffusion process. The four process buildings contain approximately 74 acres under roof.

 

 

Paducah Site Seasonal Tours

An image of the front cover of the Paducah Site Tour Book that is typically given to tour takers.

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) provides opportunities for members of the public to tour the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant site in the spring and summer.  The bus tour includes one stop to visit inside the Plant Control Facility.  The tour involves minimal walking, just a short distance from the bus to the building.  Participants must be U.S. citizens 18 years of age or older.

The tours provide a close-up view of the former uranium enrichment facilities before they are addressed under the Deactivation Project, and a unique opportunity to become oriented with the history of the plant, its current activities and its future missions.

Interested participants must pre-register and tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis.  To register, please visit https://fourriversnuclearpartnership.com/tours.