In 1950, the Atomic Energy Commission, a predecessor agency to DOE, selected a 3,556-acre tract of government-owned land near Paducah, Kentucky, as the location to construct a second gaseous diffusion uranium enrichment plant (GDP) to support US national security needs. The Paducah GDP enriched uranium from 1952 to 2013 and was the last government-owned uranium enrichment facility operating in the United States. The Paducah GDP produced low-enriched uranium originally as feedstock for nuclear weapons materials and later for commercial nuclear power plants. Watch the video below to learn more about Paducah.
Paducah News
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The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management successfully completed the majority of its 2024 priorities, advancing critical cleanup work with the support of state, tribal and local partners.January 17, 2025
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The Portsmouth Paducah Project Office achieved significant priorities, goals and milestones in 2024, advancing cleanup and preparing its two sites for future use.January 7, 2025
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The Paducah Site met a 2024 priority by safely and successfully removing 1 million pounds of R-114 refrigerant — a legacy environmental hazard stored at the site.December 17, 2024
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Calloway County High School has been named the winner of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) West Kentucky Regional Science Bowl T-Shirt Design Contest.December 17, 2024
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The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management recently awarded performance-based fee payments to 14 of its contractors at sites across the DOE complex.December 17, 2024
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The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Portsmouth Paducah Project Office recently hosted fundraisers and food drives to help stock local food pantries through Feds Feed Families, an annual campaign led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.December 10, 2024
Joel B. Bradburne was named Manager of the Department of Energy's Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO) on December 13, 2021. In this role, he oversees the deactivation and demolition of the former gaseous diffusion facilities at the Portsmouth, Ohio and Paducah, Kentucky sites, and the Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride (DUF6) Conversion Project at both locations.
Click here to view full bio.
High-Level Budget Information
FY22 Enacted (in the millions) | FY23 Request (in the millions) | FY23 Enacted (in the millions) | FY24 Enacted (in the millions) | FY24 Enacted (in the millions) | FY25 Requested (in the millions) |
| $319 | $282 | $330 | $304 | $334 | $330 |
For more information on the Office of Environmental Management's budget process and performance check out the Budget & Performance page.