Construction began on a depleted uranium conversion facility at the Paducah, Kentucky gaseous diffusion plant on 27 July.
As part of a major environmental clean-up project, the facility will convert over 260,000t of depleted uranium hexafluoride into a form suitable for disposal over 25 years. A second plant will be built in Portsmouth, Ohio to process an additional 475,000t, including some waste from the Oak Ridge site.
Uranium Disposition Services will build the facilities, employing up to 200 workers during the building phase and 150 on a full-time basis during operation.
