Community
DOE is committed to fostering meaningful public involvement in its decision-making at the site. Interactive communications enable the public and other stakeholders to learn about the environmental program so they can provide input. Stakeholders include individuals, groups, communities, and other entities in the public and private sectors that are interested in or affected by environmental activities and decisions.
PORTSFuture Vision Project
PORTSFuture, created by the Ohio University (OU) Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, is a community-based engagement program where stakeholders can discuss scenarios and make recommendations for the cleanup and disposition of the site. OU engages in activities, which support the efficient and economical restoration of the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. When the grant was awarded to OU, they conducted community surveys and the results helped to create the current cleanup approach.
Holistic Cleanup Approach
After DOE received the facilities back from the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) in 2010, a strategy was developed to optimize cleanup to allow transfer of land for future use. Utilizing an integrated site-wide cleanup approach optimizes cleanup activities. This holistic approach focuses on end use fueled by community interest in site reuse for economic development while targeting land that has the highest potential for reuse. The waste disposal decision is key to prioritizing and scheduling actions.
Property Transfer
The Portsmouth Paducah Project Office (PPPO) works to reduce the DOE footprint and lifecycle cost while providing opportunities for future reuse which supports economic development for the local Portsmouth community. Stakeholders in the region have come to a common agreement that the site, post-cleanup, should be reindustrialized to create jobs to sustain the local economy. This is why the intended use of the Portsmouth Site property is for potential industries looking for land to build their facilities, in turn creating jobs for the community. As more Portsmouth Site property becomes available transfer of parcels will continue.
Some property within the Portsmouth Site has already been transferred to the local community to take advantage of existing infrastructure to support economic development. A parcel is a section of land that is ready for transfer. There are currently four total parcels at the Portsmouth Site. Parcels 1 and 2 have been successfully transferred with a total acreage of 306. Parcels 3 and 4 are in the transfer process. Parcel 3 is 48 acres and Parcel 4 is undergoing further measurements to determine acreage.
Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI)
The Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI) was designated by the Department of Energy (DOE) to be the Community Reuse Organization for the Portsmouth Site in 1995. Since 1998, they have invested over $14 million in Jackson, Pike, Ross and Scioto counties. SODI has a clear mission through economic diversification, development, asset transition and business development. They manage DOE’s surplus goods and available land, which are available to local businesses and non-profits who contribute to the economic development. Over the years, SODI has built industrial parks, a Geographic Information System, workforce training programs, a business incubator, a training facility and an entrepreneur loan fund. With help from SODI, over 500 acres will be transferred at the Portsmouth Site.