Introduction: A License to Pollute? The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) stands poised to approve a significant license amendment for American Centrifuge Operating, LLC (ACO). This amendment, outlined in the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the American Centrifuge Plant (ACP) in Piketon, Ohio, would extend the High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) demonstration cascade operation until June 30, 2034, and substantially increase its uranium hexafluoride (UF6) possession limit. The EA, issued by the NRC's Environmental Center of Expertise, concludes with a "Finding of No Significant Impact" (FONSI), asserting that the proposed action would not significantly affect the quality of the human environment. This conclusion is based on the premise that the project involves no new construction, no increase in production rates, and its impacts are merely an extension of "previously assessed impacts".

On June 13, 2025, military actions were initiated against Iran's nuclear and related infrastructure. The primary nuclear facility confirmed to have been impacted was Iran's main uranium enrichment site at Natanz, where reports indicated damage to underground structures. While initial assessments by Iran's Atomic Energy Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported no immediate increase in nuclear radiation, the inherent risks associated with such attacks are profound and unacceptable.

PIKETON, Ohio — American Centrifuge Operating, LLC (ACO), a Centrus Energy subsidiary, has filed a request with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to allow uranium feedstock sourced from foreign suppliers at its Piketon enrichment facility. The move comes after the Department of Energy granted Centrus a waiver in July 2024 that permits imports of low-enriched uranium (LEU) from Russia for deliveries through 2025.

A class-action lawsuit, Walburn et al. v. Centrus Energy Corp. et al., filed in September 2020, brought to light extensive allegations of a decades-long pattern of corruption, dosimetry manipulation, and environmental contamination at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) in Piketon, Ohio. While this specific lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed by the plaintiffs on November 11, 2021, and officially terminated on November 17, 2021, its allegations remain a critical part of the historical record regarding PORTS and the broader challenges of accountability in the nuclear industry. The lawsuit claimed that plant operators, including the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) and various contractors, engaged in a "Nuclear Fraud Enterprise" to conceal the true extent of radiation exposure to workers and the surrounding communities, prioritizing profit and operational goals over public safety.

The OEPA data dump reveals that, contrary to assumptions of resolved issues, the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) continues to face significant and ongoing environmental challenges. Critical documents highlight a persistent and unyielding groundwater contamination plume, requiring continuous active intervention through extensive treatment systems and pilot projects for advanced contaminant extraction. This indicates that despite years of effort, the scale and complexity of groundwater remediation remain substantial, suggesting a long-term environmental battle rather than a contained problem.

In a chilling move that prioritizes corporate profits over public health, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is pushing forward with land transfers at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a site riddled with a half-century legacy of radioactive and chemical contamination. Despite vociferous warnings from the Ohio EPA and a history of worker exposure and community illnesses, large swathes of this poisoned land are being handed over for a "reindustrialization" scheme, including a controversial "blue hydrogen" project that promises clean energy while overlooking a dirty past.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced three new federally backed nuclear research projects under its GAIN (Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear) program—raising renewed concerns from environmental and public safety advocates about the government’s continued investment in high-risk nuclear technologies.

The American Centrifuge Program at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS), operated by American Centrifuge Operating, LLC (a Centrus Energy Corp. subsidiary), continues to discharge radioactive materials into the environment. According to the Q1 2025 Radiological Discharge Monitoring Report, submitted to the Ohio EPA, both Outfall 012 (Southwest Holding Pond) and Outfall 013 (West Holding Pond) show repeated detections of beta emitters, uranium, and in one case, elevated alpha radiation.

For decades, the Piketon Atomic Plant was a key part of the nation's energy infrastructure. This application synthesizes findings from the Pike County Human Health Risk Assessment and legal documents like Walburn v. Centrus Energy Corp. to explore the long-term environmental and human impact on the surrounding community.

The Unveiling: Deeper Layers of Deception in PORTS' Radioactive Practices

This report investigates the potential that Pixelle Specialty Solutions’ Chillicothe, Ohio mill may be processing radioactively contaminated lumber sourced from Pike County, a region historically impacted by discharges from the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS). PORTS, once central to the U.S. nuclear program, released multiple radionuclides into the environment, including uranium isotopes, neptunium-237, technetium-99, plutonium-239/240, and americium-241. Scientific studies and Department of Energy (DOE) records confirm contamination of soils, vegetation, and water systems in Pike County. With active logging in affected areas, and insufficient radioactive testing in Pixelle's current protocols, there exists a credible risk to product safety, worker health, and the environment. This report assesses contamination pathways, evaluates company practices, and provides recommendations for enhanced detection and response.

PIKETON, OH – New correspondence from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) reveals significant questions and concerns about the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) plans for managing and demolishing contaminated facilities at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The EPA letters, dated May 30, 2025, highlight potential blind spots in sampling for dangerous chemicals and inadequate monitoring proposals, raising serious alarms for public health and environmental advocates.