Portsmouth

The Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) is located about 70 miles south of Columbus, Ohio.  Construction of the PGDP began in late 1952 to expand the US’s gaseous diffusion program already in place at Oak Ridge, Tennessee and Paducah, Kentucky. The facility was built to increase the production of enriched uranium for use in nuclear submarine reactors and low-enriched uranium was required for use commercial nuclear power plants. Since 1991, the plant has produced only low enriched uranium for commercial nuclear power plants. On July 1, 1993, the United States Enrichment Corporation, a government corporation formed under the Energy Policy Act of 1992, assumed operations of the production portion of the plant. DOE retained responsibility for environmental restoration and related waste management activities including environmental remediation efforts; environmental compliance; storage, treatment, and disposition of waste; and the decommissioning of inactive and surplus facilities. On June 21, 2000 USEC announced that the Portsmouth enrichment facilities would cease operations. On March 21, 2001 DOE Secretary Abraham announced that $125 million would be provided over 2 years to place the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in cold standby, winterize facilities onsite, perform uranium deposit removal and provide assistance to workers impacted by shutdown of enrichment operations. USEC started to place the Portsmouth facility in cold standby on April 6, 2001.

Portsmouth/Piketon Plant News

Representatives Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Michael Burgess of Texas have requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) look into the financial responsibility of federal loan guarantees needed for enriching uranium at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Ohio.  They also requested the GAO look into whether the plant is out of compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.

Alternative Names

DOE

DOE Environmental management has a Portsmouth page.  Legacy Management has a Portsmouth page as well.  DOE launched a Virtual Museum for Portsmouth

DOL

DOL lists Part B and Part E payment statistics for Portsmouth as well as a Portsmouth Site Exposure Matrix.

EPA

Ohio EPA has a Portsmouth webpage.

NIOSH

NIOSH has Technical Basis Documents for Portsmouth. And an SEC was established by statute for Portsmouth for workers prior to February 1, 1992.

Worker Health Protection Program

WHPP has a health screening program for Portsmouth workers.

Other

Wikipedia has an article on Portsmouth.

Portsmouth Issues

On May 19, 2011 during the NRC decommissioning process public meeting in Piketon, Ohio attorney Franklin Gerlach presented the DOE, NRC, and US Enrichment corporation with a statement and evidence of an alleged criminal conspiracy involving the injury of a worker at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant.   Attorney Gerlach has also requested that Attorney General Holder investigate the issue.

On July 25, 2011 the Huntington News ran a story entitled Tangled Allegations by Atomic Workers in Portsmouth Allege Civil Liability, Criminal Conduct.

Portsmouth Documents