Paducah Community Leaders Learn About EM Site, Past and Present

PADUCAH, Ky. – EM is a key participant in a Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce initiative to provide current and future community leaders a deeper understanding of resources that support the regional economy of western Kentucky and southern Illinois.

“Leadership Paducah” is open to qualifying community members who have demonstrated leadership skills and an interest in learning more about the region. The most recent class is the 35th since the program’s inception in 1984.

About 30 members of the latest Leadership Paducah class recently learned about the EM Paducah Site’s history and current missions during one of the class’s monthly educational sessions.

During a presentation, program analyst Robert “Buz” Smith with EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office detailed the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant’s unique history, which included honoring former workers who met the nation’s defense and energy needs for many years.

Smith and cleanup contractor representative Steve Christmas with Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership also informed class members about the site’s cleanup mission, including groundwater remediation, utility optimization and deactivation of the massive C-333 uranium-enrichment process building.

This summer, community members will also be invited to learn more about the site’s history and cleanup mission through the relaunch of the site’s community tours. Onsite tours were paused due to COVID-19 in March 2020.

“Our Leadership Paducah class tours different employers and meets with local professionals to get a better understanding of our community,” said chamber president Sandra Wilson. “The class was very appreciative of the opportunity to hear from the Department of Energy about the Paducah Site.”