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 historically occupied about 1,200 acres of the original 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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- Environmental and Legacy Management
- Nuclear Security & Safety
The Portsmouth Paducah Project Office is modernizing its depleted uranium hexafluoride conversion facilities by installing a new system designed to significantly enhance safety, improve efficiency and reduce operational pauses. September 2, 2025September 2, 2025 -
- Advance Energy Addition, Not Subtraction
- Innovation
- Innovation
- Innovation
- Innovation
The U.S. Department of Energy has recognized its environmental cleanup program for superior performance and exemplary service in project management. August 26, 2025August 26, 2025 -
- Environmental and Legacy Management
- Waste Management
- Waste Management
The Portsmouth Paducah Project Office recently met a DOE Office of Environmental Management priority for 2025 after successfully converting more than 1,000 cylinders of depleted uranium hexafluoride into a safer, more stable oxide form. August 26, 2025August 26, 2025 -
Leaders from the Portsmouth Site recently met with representatives from the Ohio Nuclear Development Authority during their first visit to the Portsmouth Site. August 19, 2025August 19, 2025