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You are here: EPA Home Region 4 Superfund NPL/Caliber Sites-Kentucky U.S. DOE Gaseous Diffusion Plant

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Site Contaminants of

Concern

Site Aliases

Photos/Multimedia

PDGP plant

Additional Resources

Site Cleanup Terms - can

be found in EPA's glossary

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Superfund Community

Involvement (PDF) (17 pp,

130K, About PDF)

Site Location and Background

Threats and Contaminants

Investigation and Cleanup

Responsibility / Oversight

Site Cleanup Plan

Cleanup Progress

Enforcement Activities

Community Involvement

Future Work

Additional Information

U.S. DOE Gaseous Diffusion Plant

Site Summary Profile

EPA ID: KY8890008982

Location: Paducah,

McCraken County, KY

Lat/Long: 37.120130,

-088.811110

Congressional District: 01

NPL Status: Proposed:

05/10/93; Final: 05/31/94

Affected Media: Ground

water, Liquid Waste, Sediment, Soil

Cleanup Status: Physical cleanup activities are underway

Human Exposure Under Control: Yes

Ground water Migration Under Control: No

Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use: No

Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Active Facility

Site Manager: Turpin Ballard (ballard.turpin@epa.gov)

Current Site Status

The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) site is the location of an active uranium enrichment plant owned by the

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). DOE, EPA and the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection (KDEP) have

investigated site conditions and taken steps to clean up the site in order to protect people and the environment from

contamination. The site's contamination does not threaten people living and working near the site. By cleaning up and

monitoring soils and ground water, enforcing institutional controls, and undertaking Five-Year Reviews, DOE, EPA and

KDEP continue to protect people and the environment from site contamination.

Site Location and Background

The site is located in northwestern Kentucky, about 10 miles west of Paducah and 3.5 miles south of the Ohio River.

PGDP is located on about 750 acres of land that is fenced and secured. A DOE buffer zone surrounds PGDP. The West

Kentucky Wildlife Management Area surrounds the buffer zone to the north, west and south and includes Big Bayou

Creek and Little Bayou Creek. A coal-fired power plant is also located north of the buffer zone. Rural and agricultural

areas surround the DOE buffer zone, the wildlife management area and the power plant.

Uranium-enrichment operations at the site began in 1952, and included several related facilities. PGDP provides fuel rods

to nuclear power plants. DOE has been working to reduce contamination at the site since the 1980s.

In 1994, EPA listed the site on the NPL.

Threats and Contaminants

Site investigations found contamination in on-site ground water and soils as well as off-site sediments and surface

water. Contaminants of concern for on-site ground water include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), technetium-99 and

uranium. Contaminants of concern for off-site sediments and surface water near PGDP include uranium, thorium and

transuranic elements (i.e., plutonium and neptunium). Contaminants of concern for on-site soils include trichloroethylene

and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

In 1988, DOE found technetium-99 in an off-site drinking water well north of PGDP. DOE also found VOCs in nearby

private wells and in on-site monitoring wells. DOE placed affected residences and businesses on an alternate water

supply. After finding PCBs in on-site surface water and downstream of the plant in Big Bayou Creek and in Little Bayou

Creek, DOE took steps to prevent the spread of contaminated ground water and restrict the use of surface water.

Since several schools are located near the site, DOE and KDEP evaluated whether potential radioactive contamination

posed a risk to children’s health in 2009. The parties did not find any related risks.

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3/11/2014 U.S. DOE Gaseous Diffusion Plant NPL Site Summary- Land Cleanup and Wastes | Region 4 | US EPA

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The site's contamination is not a threat to nearby residents and businesses (i.e., human exposure is under control). The

West McCracken Water District, a municipal utility, provides water supplies to residents and businesses in the area. The

district’s water source is the Ohio River. Some residents with ground water wells unaffected by the site’s contamination

also continue to use their wells.

Investigation and Cleanup Responsibility / Oversight

DOE leads the investigation and cleanup of the site, with oversight provided by EPA and KDEP.

Site Cleanup Plan

Site investigations and cleanup activities have focused on four areas, which EPA refers to as operable units, or OUs.

The Ground Water OU includes contaminated ground water affected by PGDP.

The Surface Water OU includes contaminated surface water bodies, outfall ditches, impoundment ponds, and Big Bayou

and Little Bayou Creeks.

The Soils OU includes contaminated soils associated with PGDP that are not located in a waterway, outfall, ditch or

burial ground.

The Burial Grounds OU includes contamination associated with site landfills and burial grounds.

DOE also named a fifth OU that will include areas DOE will investigate and clean up once PGDP eventually shuts down.

DOE and EPA have issued a series of cleanup plans (Records of Decision, or RODs) to address contamination across the

OUs. For example, the 1998 cleanup plan (ROD) focused on cleaning up trichloroethylene-contaminated soil and ground

water within Solid Waste Management Unit 91, part of the Ground Water OU.

Summaries of selected cleanup approaches are available online in site RODs and Five-Year Reviews.

Cleanup Progress

Since 1988, DOE has taken steps to clean up soil and ground water contamination. These steps include removing

contaminated soils and treating contaminated ground water. DOE made several improvements to the ground water

treatment system in the 1990s and 2000s. DOE continues to search for contamination and plan more cleanup activities.

Summaries of cleanup activities are also available in Five-Year Reviews online.

Cleanup Actions in the 1980s and 1990s

After finding ground water contamination in 1988, DOE placed affected residences and businesses on an alternate water

supply, replacing contaminated drinking water wells. DOE also took steps to stop the spread of contaminated ground

water and restrict the use of surface water.

In 1993 and 1995, DOE issued two cleanup plans (RODs) to address areas of highly contaminated ground water located

north of PGDP.

In the late 1990s, DOE took several cleanup actions across the site. DOE removed areas highly contaminated with PCBs

and used an innovative technology, known as Lasagna TM, to remove trichloroethylene in clayey soils.

In 1999, DOE issued a cleanup plan (ROD) for removing contaminated sediments in the North South Diversion Ditches, as

part of the Surface Water OU. In 2004, DOE completed the early phases of this project.

Cleanup Actions in the 2000s

In 2005, DOE issued a cleanup plan (ROD) for removing trichloroethylene at the primary source area at the C-400

building.

In 2006, DOE finished removing 30,500 cubic yards of contaminated scrap metal at the scrap yard. DOE will work on

contaminated soils under the former scrap pile as part of cleanup activities for the Soils OU.

In 2007 and 2008, DOE completed the removal of an inactive incinerator and smelter.

In 2009 and 2010, DOE removed contaminated soil and sediments on the site. DOE is also taking other steps, referred to
3/11/2014 U.S. DOE Gaseous Diffusion Plant NPL Site Summary- Land Cleanup and Wastes | Region 4 | US EPA

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as decontamination and decommissioning, at two buildings with resources from the American Recovery and Reinvestment

Act.

In 2010, DOE made improvements to the site’s ground water treatment system. DOE is now collecting and treating

ground water contamination at the plant boundary.

Conclusion

The site’s second Five-Year Review, completed in 2009, found that institutional controls continue to protect people from

remaining site contamination.

Enforcement Activities

For many years, EPA has been working with its federal and state partners to clean up the site. The 1998 FFA for the site

(PDF) (182 pp, 1MB, About PDF) outlines site cleanup schedules, priorities and enforceable milestones for DOE, EPA and the

Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Community Involvement

EPA has worked with the community and its state and federal partners to develop a long-term cleanup plan for the site,

reflecting the Agency’s commitment to safe, healthy communities and environmental protection. Community engagement

and public outreach are core components of EPA program activities.

EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities to solicit community input and to make sure that the

public remains informed about site activities throughout the cleanup process. Outreach efforts have included public

notices, interviews and public meetings. PGDP representatives have also held environmental workshops to inform the

community of any upcoming public meetings about proposed future cleanup plans for the site.

DOE also commissioned a Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) , which meets monthly to discuss cleanup activities

and potential health issues associated with past operations and disposal activities at the site. The CAB’s purpose is to

keep local citizens updated on site cleanup progress and related issues. Both EPA and KDEP participate in CAB activities.

Future Work

Once PGDP eventually shuts down, DOE plans to take more cleanup actions before transferring the site to a new owner.

DOE is planning more investigations and cleanup activities under the site’s Federal Facilities Agreement and state

Resource Conservation and Recovery Action hazardous waste permit. DOE has planned site investigation and cleanup

activities through 2040. DOE’s long-term cleanup activities will likely go past 2040.

Due to the large amount of Superfund-related waste from deactivation and decommissioning and other cleanup

activities, DOE is evaluating disposal options for site wastes, including the potential construction of an on-site disposal

cell.

EPA completed the site’s last Five-Year Review in 2009 and plans to complete the next Five-Year Review in 2014.

Additional Information

EPA keeps additional site documents and information in a site information repository at the location below. EPA also

posts site documents, when available, on EPA’s CERCLIS Site Profile page. For documents not available on the website,

please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.

Site Repository

DOE Environmental Information Center

111 Memorial Drive

Paducah, KY 42001