USEC

PACRO Plans to Assist Displaced Plant Workers

Rob Canning — Thu, 30 May 2013 17:52:57 +0000

The Paducah Area Community Reuse Organization or PACRO is working with union and economic development officials to garner support for soon to be unemployed workers at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. USEC announced last week it won't continue it's enriching process at the Department of Energy owned site.

Purchase Area Development District Special Projects Coordinator Mary-Anne Medlock said workers will soon receive a survey to help understand the plant's demographics to aid in an seeking an emergency grant from the Department of Labor.

Shawnee Fossil Plant Not Affected by USEC Shutdown

John Null — Wed, 29 May 2013 19:32:30 +0000

The United States Enrichment Corporation’s shutdown at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant will not affect the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Shawnee Fossil Plant near Paducah.

TVA Spokesman Scott Brooks said that Shawnee, like all of TVA’s fossil plants, provides power to the general grid and characterizes USEC’s closing as the loss of one customer.

USEC Operations at PGPD Won't Continue

Whitney Jones — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:22:22 +0000

The United State's Enrichment Corporation is ending uranium enrichment at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant saying that there were not enough taxpayer benefits to extend enrichment.

USEC has operated the DOE's Paducah Gaseous Diffusion plant since July 1993 and will stop enriching uranium at the end of May. USEC expects to begin reducing the plant’s workforce in the coming months. However, the corporation plans to continue managing inventory and meeting customer orders in addition to transitioning the plant back to the DOE into 2014.

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.