In August 1952, the Atomic Energy Commission, a predecessor agency to DOE, selected a tract of land in the Ohio Valley along the Scioto River in Pike County, Ohio, for the site of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (GDP), the third of three GDPs in the United States
The Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant operated from 1954 to 2001. Located in Pike County, Ohio, the plant occupies about 1,200 acres of the 3,777-acre federally-owned Portsmouth Site. The plant was one of three large gaseous diffusion plants in the United States initially constructed to produce enriched uranium to support the nation’s nuclear weapons program and, in later years, enriched uranium used by commercial nuclear reactors. After the Cold War, weapons-grade uranium enrichment was suspended and production facilities were leased to the private sector. In 2001, enrichment operations were discontinued at the site.
DOE's Office of Environmental Management began its environmental cleanup program at the site in 1989 and the effort continues today in cooperation with the U.S. and Ohio Environmental Protection Agencies. Decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the plant commenced in 2011 and is ongoing.
PORTSMOUTH SITE ACTIVITIES
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Portsmouth Cleanup Program was established in 1989 to evaluate and take appropriate actions to ensure protection of human health and the environment. -
Information about DOE's program to detect and eliminate environmental hazards at or near the Portsmouth Site. -
The Decontamination & Decommissioning (D&D) Program at the Portsmouth Site addresses recent, current and planned demolition of facilities. -
DOE's D&D project helps prepare the site for reuse, supporting the community’s vision to redevelop the Portsmouth Site property. -
DOE is committed to fostering meaningful public involvement in environmental remediation decision-making at the Portsmouth Site. -
Learn about the Portsmouth Annual Site Environmental Reports.
Portsmouth News
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Cleanup crews recently removed the first transite panel from X-333 to prepare for the demolition of the second of three former uranium enrichment process buildings at the Portsmouth Site.May 13, 2025 -
A first-of-a-kind program is preparing young adults for careers while providing a pipeline of talent for local companies around the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Portsmouth Site.May 13, 2025 -
Four contractors with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management’s Portsmouth Paducah Project Office (PPPO) recently reached significant safety milestones, collectively achieving nearly 18 million safe work hours.April 29, 2025 -
As STEAM Ahead enters its fifth year of bringing science to life for young students in southern Ohio, the popular educational outreach program conducted by mentors from the Portsmouth Site expands into a second county.April 29, 2025