The Paducah GDP produced low-enriched uranium originally as feedstock for nuclear weapons materials and later for commercial nuclear power plants.
The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) was constructed in 1952 to produce enriched uranium, initially for the nation’s nuclear weapons program and later for nuclear fuel for commercial power plants. The plant is owned by the Department of Energy (DOE), which oversees environmental cleanup activities at the site, including environmental remediation, waste management, depleted uranium conversion, and decontamination and decommissioning. Commercial enrichment was conducted under lease from 1993 until 2013 when operations ceased and the gaseous diffusion facilities were returned to the DOE Environmental Management (EM) program. EM has conducted extensive cleanup activities at the site since the late 1980s and is currently deactivating the returned plant facilities while continuing the aggressive remediation program being managed by its Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office.
Paducah News
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- Environmental and Legacy Management
- Worker Health & Safety
- Worker Health & Safety
The National Safety Council has awarded the deactivation and remediation contractor at the Paducah Site its Million Work Hours Award, reflecting the safe completion of some of the most complex and challenging work at the site. September 9, 2025September 9, 2025 -
- 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 -
- 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 -
Recent agreements & partnerships to provide land & a portion of a legacy coproduct from the former uranium enrichment process to commercial partners is turning liabilities into assets, accelerating production of domestic energy supplies. August 12, 2025August 12, 2025