Gov. Andy Beshear touts 240 jobs and economic development while making no mention of decades of radioactive contamination that mirrors Pike County's Atomic Plant

PIKETON, Ohio — Centrus Energy shares fell sharply Thursday after the company’s latest earnings release and 2026 guidance signaled slowing momentum in its core nuclear fuel business despite major federal awards and a record cash position.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A new bill introduced in the Ohio Senate would formally declare the state’s energy siting policy and outline which energy sources qualify as affordable, reliable, and clean under state law.Senate Bill 294, sponsored by Sens. George Lang and Mark Romanchuk and co-sponsored by Sens. Andrew Brenner and Bill Reineke, defines the types of energy sources that may be prioritized when the state reviews applications for new utility facilities.The proposal classifies nuclear power as a “clean energy source” but specifically excludes advanced nuclear energy technology from being considered an “affordable energy source.” The bill defines “affordable” energy as one that provides stable and predictable costs and demonstrates cost-effectiveness compared to other sources over the previous five years.Under the measure, Ohio would also prioritize domestic energy production and seek to minimize reliance on foreign nations for critical materials and manufacturing.The legislation states it is the public policy of Ohio to ensure “affordable, reliable, and clean energy security” across the state while giving preference to energy sources that meet those standards.Senate Bill 294 was introduced during the 136th General Assembly (2025–2026) and has been referred for committee consideration.READ THE FULL BILL TEXT: https://legiscan.com/OH/text/SB294/id/3273449/Ohio-2025-SB294-Introduced.pdf

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio is betting billions on a nuclear energy renaissance, creating the Ohio Nuclear Development Authority (ONDA) to spearhead a new generation of advanced reactors and radioactive waste storage. But as this powerful, state-backed entity prepares to guide Ohio's energy future, its controversial origins and the tangled interests of its board members raise the specter of a "FirstEnergy 2.0" scandal, where public policy could be shaped for private profit.

PIKETON, Ohio — An estimated 50,000 gallons of potentially radioactive wastewater were released on-site during a demolition project at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a former uranium enrichment facility with a long history of toxic contamination.

PIKETON, Ohio – A major environmental permit for the Piketon Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride (DUF6) Conversion Facility is set to change hands, according to an application filed with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The move marks a shift in the operational oversight of the plant. 

PIKETON, Ohio — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has quietly renewed a crucial air pollution control permit for Fluor-BWXT at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant.

PIKETON, Ohio - On or around July 14, 2025, a worker at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Ohio, suffered serious health injuries after being exposed to hydrofluoric acid (HF) — one of the most toxic and dangerous chemicals ever used in uranium processing.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Department of Energy Office of Inspector General report released July 2, 2025, blasts the Office of Nuclear Energy for steering a sole-source High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU) contract to American Centrifuge Operating, LLC (a Centrus subsidiary), despite clear procurement rules and the company’s shaky finances (DOE-OIG-25-25).

PIKETON, Ohio — A surprise emergency drill at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant on July 8 sent shockwaves through the rural Appalachian town of Piketon—reviving old fears and reigniting distrust in the U.S. Department of Energy’s communication protocols.

PIKETON, Ohio — Centrus Energy is quietly operating the most sensitive uranium enrichment project in the country, producing nuclear fuel just shy of weapons-grade at its Piketon facility. But beneath the banner of energy innovation lies a veil of secrecy—one that’s become nearly impenetrable.

LUCKEY, Ohio — A recent 105-page laboratory report analyzing groundwater samples from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Luckey Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) site has confirmed what residents feared and regulators continue to downplay: uranium is still showing up in drinking water.

PIKETON, Ohio — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Ohio EPA, and Ohio Department of Health released their latest update this week on the ongoing cleanup of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant—but beneath the bureaucratic talking points lies a toxic truth: the site remains one of Ohio’s most contaminated, and most dangerous, nuclear legacies.

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.

A recent report from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for 2024 reveals a disturbing acceleration in efforts to usher in a new generation of unproven and potentially hazardous advanced nuclear reactors. This push has been significantly amplified by a May 23rd White House Executive Order from President Donald J. Trump, which explicitly directs the NRC to "reform" its regulations to reduce barriers and rapidly promote nuclear power. These aggressive moves come despite critical new research, published in May 2022 by Stanford and the University of British Columbia, revealing that the much-touted small modular reactors (SMRs) will actually exacerbate the nation's already dire nuclear waste crisis.

Buried beneath decades of federal silence and sanitized reports lies a brutal truth: the U.S. government knowingly launched radioactive gas into the skies of southern Ohio. They called them “purge vents.” The workers called them “Midnight Rockets.” What they really were: deliberate, unfiltered releases of radioactive fallout.

WASHINGTON D.C. – In a move that prioritizes industry profits and unproven technology over public safety, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has rubber-stamped NuScale Power's 77 megawatt-electric (MWe) small modular reactor (SMR) design. Hailed by its corporate proponents as a "leap toward clean energy," this decision by the NRC is a chilling confirmation of a dangerous trend: fast-tracking nuclear expansion at any cost, regardless of mounting safety, economic, and environmental concerns.

PERRY, OH – Despite official assurances of safety and compliance, a detailed analysis of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant's 2024 Annual Radioactive Effluent Release Report, obtained by the Ohio Atomic Press, paints a concerning picture of continuous radioactive discharges into Lake Erie and the surrounding atmosphere. The report, ostensibly a routine regulatory filing, reveals not just the presence, but the pervasive nature of radioactive materials being released, alongside critical gaps in how these emissions are monitored and regulated.

OAK HARBOR, OH – The Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station's 2024 Annual Radiological Environmental Operating Report and Radioactive Effluent Release Report, presented as a routine compliance document, is, upon closer inspection, a testament to the inherent contradictions and failures of nuclear power. Far from offering reassurance, a detailed breakdown of its contents reveals a systematic downplaying of risk, consistent operational deficiencies, and an unavoidable legacy of environmental burden.

PIKETON, OH - An internal wastewater discharge flow map from the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Ohio, reveals a massive and active system that continues to move effluents from various facilities into Southern Ohio waterways — including the Scioto River and both branches of Beaver Creek. But this isn’t just about modern discharges of treated water. During its uranium enrichment prime, radioactive materials were routinely released into the environment, and historical records confirm it.

COLUMBUS, OH – Federal wildlife officials have identified a list of threatened and endangered species that may be present in or affected by the proposed nine-year license extension for the Centrus ACO HALEU Demonstration Plant in Pike County. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Ohio Ecological Services Field Office issued the formal species list to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as part of federal requirements under the Endangered Species Act.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has released an updated list of prohibited securities for its employees, their spouses, and minor children, effective April 2025. The comprehensive list aims to prevent conflicts of interest and maintain public trust in the regulatory body.

PIKETON, OH - Representatives from the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (FEPC) completed a visit to the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site on May 20, a tour met with skepticism and renewed concerns from local residents firmly against the proposed re-nuclearization and expansion of industrial energy production at the beleaguered site.

PIKETON, OH - Official reports from the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant highlight ongoing deactivation and cleanup efforts, but recent incidents reported by local residents are raising significant questions about the immediate environmental and health impacts of these activities. The plant's latest management update, presented by the Department of Energy (DOE), Ohio EPA, and the Ohio Department of Health, details progress in water treatment, waste placement, and building deactivation.

PIKETON, OH – For decades, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has assured communities surrounding its nuclear sites that everything is under control, that radiation levels are "far below health and safety standards." But a bombshell revelation from 2019, coupled with chilling federal lawsuits, paints a far more disturbing picture: one where the very data meant to protect us has allegedly been manipulated, and the science behind "safe" radiation is being exposed as a dangerous farce.

WASHINGTON, D.C.  — The Trump administration is reportedly drafting a series of executive orders aimed at accelerating nuclear power development in the United States, a move that critics say risks compromising safety, regulatory independence, and fiscal responsibility.

HANFORD, Washington — Across the United States, the Cold War left a toxic inheritance: sprawling sites poisoned by the pursuit of nuclear power and weapons. Decades later, the promise of cleaning up this mess rings increasingly hollow as funding dries up and political agendas threaten to derail efforts, leaving behind a legacy of illness and uncertainty for the communities that bore the brunt of the atomic age. The story is disturbingly similar from Washington state to the rolling hills of southern Ohio.

Denmark, long celebrated for its leadership in wind energy and a steadfast ban on nuclear power since 1985, is now reconsidering its stance. As the nation grapples with future energy demands and climate goals, some policymakers and industry leaders are advocating for the inclusion of nuclear energy in the country's energy mix. However, this shift raises concerns about safety, waste management, and reliance on controversial nuclear fuels.

A new nuclear frontier is being aggressively pushed: small, mobile reactors touted as the future of energy. But behind the optimistic press releases lie stark warnings from government watchdogs and independent experts. An examination grounded in documented statements reveals a troubling landscape of unresolved dangers and experimental technologies being fast-tracked for deployment.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio's nuclear landscape is a battleground, where the siren song of "clean" energy clashes with the grim reality of radioactive contamination and the escalating risks of aging atomic infrastructure. A recent 30-day snapshot, from mid-April to mid-May 2025, reveals a state grappling with its nuclear demons, pushing forward with potentially disastrous plant extensions while dodging accountability for decades of radioactive mess.

For generations, the Scioto Valley has been home to a resilient community. But beneath the surface of this southern Ohio landscape lies a toxic truth, a legacy of contamination emanating from the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) that has poisoned the land, the water, the air, and, residents fear, their very lives. This investigation, drawing on a mountain of official documents, scientific findings, and harrowing community testimonies, exposes a decades-long saga of environmental negligence, systemic regulatory failure, and a web of culpability involving the plant's operators, federal and state authorities, and private contractors. The grim consequence: dangerous radioactive and chemical contaminants have spread far beyond the plant's fences, and Pike County now bears the horrific burden of some of the highest cancer and mortality rates in the state, a crisis this report will demonstrate is inextricably linked to the toxic shadow of PORTS.

For one week, from March 14–21, a sweeping nuclear disaster exercise is unfolding across Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Ontario, testing the emergency response capabilities of more than 70 local, state, provincial, and federal agencies. Cobalt Magnet 25, led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), will simulate the aftermath of a nuclear power plant accident—an operation involving over 3,000 participants and extensive field activity that could make for an unsettling sight to residents in affected areas.

In a major policy shift, the North Dakota Senate has overwhelmingly passed Senate Bill 2159 (45-2), paving the way for the state’s energy research sector to explore high-level radioactive waste projects. If signed into law, the bill would repeal a long-standing prohibition preventing the North Dakota State Energy Research Center from engaging in research, storage, or disposal efforts related to nuclear waste.

PIKETON, OH - For a town that’s been grappling with fears of radioactive pollution for years, the last thing residents wanted was another reason to doubt their tap water. But that’s exactly what they got when the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) to the Piketon Village Public Water System (PWS) for failing to monitor disinfection by-products (DBPs) in its drinking water.