An official with the company tasked with clean-up at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant site says Fluor Federal Services is bringing years of experience in the nuclear field to the Paducah community.
Thomas D’Agostino is Fluor’s senior vice president of strategic planning and development. He spoke Thursday morning at the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce’s Power in Partnership Breakfast.
“The history of Fluor and government dates back to the earliest days of the Manhattan Project and we had a significant role in Tennessee helping build the Oak Ridge Reservation there," D'Agostino said. "With respect to the clean-up work that we’re involved in here as well as other parts of the country, we’ve been doing that for well over 20 years.”
The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Fluor the $420 million contract for deactivation and decommission of the former uranium enrichment facility. That contract takes the clean-up process through 2017. As the work ramps up at the plant, D’Agostino says Fluor’s number one priority is safety.
“I know that every company says they’re committed to safety and most companies are committed to safety," D'Agostino said. "But I believe that this company and this partnership we have here at Paducah takes this to a whole different level.”
D’Agostino said former PGDP operator USEC was similarly committed to safety which has made for an easy transition.
