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DOE Requesting $270M in FY18 for Paducah Nuclear Site Efforts

PGDP Department of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy is requesting more than $270 million for ongoing cleanup efforts at the Paducah site. The amount is part of the recently proposed budget request for fiscal year 2018.

If the requested amount is enacted, Paducah would see a $1.8 million dollar increase from the previous allocation for a total of more than $268 million.

Paducah:

  • FY18 Request: 270,203,000
  • FY16 Enacted: 268,402,000
  • Increase: 1,801,000 (or .7%)

According to a budget brief, the funding would go towards ongoing cleanup efforts at the depleted uranium hexafluoride - or DUF6 - conversion facility, managing groundwater remediation and the decommissioning of excess facilities.

The request calls for initiating demolition of the large C-400 Cleaning Building and fund the completion of the Northeast Plume Optimization Project. This is an effort to address the migration of Trichloroethylene (TCE) contaminated groundwater beyond the plant’s security fence.

Lawmakers and local leaders have expressed interest in revitalizing the Paducah site and its resources in some capacity in the future.

The Paducah site operates one of two DUF6 conversion facilities in EM portfolio and is expected to continue operations for 30 years.

The DOE recently awarded a contract of more than $1.4 billion to the Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership to continue clean-up operations.

Matt Markgraf joined the WKMS team as a student in January 2007. He's served in a variety of roles over the years: as News Director March 2016-September 2019 and previously as the New Media & Promotions Coordinator beginning in 2011. Prior to that, he was a graduate and undergraduate assistant. He is currently the host of the international music show Imported on Sunday nights at 10 p.m.
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