Tagged: USEC

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.

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.

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.

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 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.