USEC

LATA Notifies Employees of Summer Layoffs

John Null — Mon, 06 May 2013 17:26:49 +0000

The company contracted for clean-up at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant has notified employees of impending layoffs of up to 145 workers.

LATA Environmental Services of Kentucky currently employs 320 people at the Paducah site. The cuts come from the federal sequester and a lack of funding from the Department of Energy, which contracted LATA for the clean-up.

Idaho Company Partners with Paducah Business to Consider PGDP Site

Todd Hatton — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:30:54 +0000

An Idaho-based company, along with Advanced Process Technology Systems of Paducah, has expressed interest in taking over operations of the U.S. Department of Energy's Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant if current lessee, the United States Enrichment Corporation, is unable to extend operations past next month.

USEC Still Undecided On PGDP Future

John Walker — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:12:42 +0000

Workers at Paducah's Gaseous Diffusion Plant will remain employed for at least the next 60 days as United States Enrichment Corporation officials continue discussions regarding future operations. USEC Spokesperson Paul Jacobson says the company has not yet decided on what kind of workforce it will leave behind. The plant currently employs around 1100 people.

USEC Proposes Staying at Paducah Enrichment Plant

Whitney Jones — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:21:29 +0000

The United States Enrichment Corporation and several other companies have sent proposals to the Department of Energy to continue enriching uranium at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. USEC is currently operating at the plant but is scheduled to end its work there May 31. USEC spokesperson Paul Jacobson says the corporation is discussing a several month extension at the plant, but that doesn’t change its statement that the high costs and old technology makes continuing commercial endeavors beyond 2013 difficult.

GE-Hitachi May Be Interested In Operating Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant

John Walker and Chad Lampe — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 22:18:15 +0000

GE-Hitachi may be one of other possible companies vying to operate the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant if current operations at the plant cease. The United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) employs around 1,000 workers and currently leases the 3,500 acre uranium enrichment operation. USEC’s operations are set to end in May.

U.S. Department of Energy Seeks Proposals to Extend Operations of Gaseous Diffusion Plant

Chad Lampe — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:47:43 +0000

The U.S. Department of Energy is seeking proposals from companies for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant to try to cut costs while preserving some or all of the 1,200 jobs at the the uranium enrichment site.

An emailed release from the DOE details a formal request for proposals from companies that want to lease or purchase the facility for commercial purposes.

Paducah's City Commission hears from nuclear plant workers on comp claims

Casey Northcutt — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:05:27 +0000

An argument erupted last night at Paducah's city commission meeting between Mayor Bill Paxton and an advocate for nuclear plant workers dealing with rejected workers’ compensation claims. Gary Vander Boegh represents several former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant employees and often attends commission meetings with his clients. Vander Boegh has them tell their stories at the end of each meeting during the public comment portion. Last night, Paxton told Vander Boegh the city had little power to help the workers receive their claims.

Energy Department Contractor and USEC Settle

Todd Hatton — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:36:47 +0000

The federal government and Department of Energy contractor Bechtel Jacobs have reached a 230-thousand-dollar settlement over allegations the company improperly disposed of radioactive waste from the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The settlement was unsealed yesterday in U-S District Court in Paducah. It does not require Bechtel Jacobs to admit fault and clears the company of liability related to improper disposals from 1998 through 2004. The settlement ends a 10-year legal battle started by two former plant employees on behalf of the federal government.

Paducah Economic Development Executive Looks to Plant Site Redevelopment

Angela Hatton — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 20:46:33 +0000

Paducah Economic Development Council president Chad Chancellor says officials need to start thinking about alternative future uses for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.

Chancellor's comments come on the heels of First District Congressman Ed Whitfield's comment that nuclear fuel refining operations are on their “last leg.”

Whitfield: Keeping an Open Mind on PGDP Future

Angela Hatton — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 20:20:15 +0000

Kentucky Congressman Ed Whitfield says despite his comments that the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion plant is on its "Last Leg" he’s keeping an open mind about the facility's future. Whitfield's comments about the plant were published in the Washington-based Weapons Complex Monitor.