Occupational Energy Research Program

Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP)

Located 15 miles west of Paducah, Kentucky, the gaseous diffusion plant began operating in 1952. The plant was used to enrich uranium for use as commercial nuclear reactor fuel. Since 1993, the plant has been operated under the United States Enrichment Corporation and is still used to enrich uranium, today. The Department of Energy (DOE) is remediating much of the Paducah site and disposing of the waste generated during the time the plant was operated under DOE.¹

Communication of Study Results

Questions and answers from public and worker meetings conducted September 29, 2010
PDF only 62 KB (2 pages)

Causes of death among workers from the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant: factsheet distributed at public and worker meetings in Paducah on September 29, 2010. PDF only 79 KB (2 pages)

Presentation of PGDP study results: slides presented by Dr. David Tollerud, University of Louisville, at public and worker meetings on September 29, 2010. PDF only 108 KB (16 pages)
External link: http://www.archive.org/download/AnOverviewOfAStudyThatInvolvedPaducahWorkersCauses
OfDeathAmong/Paducah_Worker_presentation_9-29-10_final.pdf

Publications from grant-funded studies done at PGDP

Mortality Patterns Among Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Workers was published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (Jul 2010), vol. 52, issue 7, pages 725-732.
External link: http://journals.lww.com/joem/toc/2010/07000

Time-period mortality patterns in a Gaseous Diffusion Plant workforce was published in the International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health (2010), vol. 23, issue 2, pages 145-151. External link: http://versita.metapress.com/content/l51078308181/?p=0a78be3527db43c4a0edf9ca69a918db&pi=0

Related websites

Paducah Department of Energy Environmental Management
External link: http://www.em.doe.gov/SiteInfo/paducah.aspx

Medical screening programs available to workers

Building Trades National Medical Screening Program
External link: http://www.btmed.org
To learn more, call 1-800-866-9663

Worker Health Protection Program (WHPP)
External link: http://www.worker-health.org
To learn more, call 513-367-1333

References:

DOE (Department of Energy) DOE Facts: Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Fact Sheet. Visited 5/11/09
External link: http://www.oakridge.doe.gov/factsheets/paducgdp.htm