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.

While officials tout millions of gallons of treated groundwater, demolition milestones, and waste disposal benchmarks, the data reveals a deeper crisis—one that includes transuranic contamination, persistent groundwater plumes, airborne asbestos-radiation risks, and a steadily expanding radioactive landfill right in Scioto Valley’s backyard.

630 Million Gallons of Treated Water—And the Flow Isn’t Stopping

As of June 16, the DOE has treated over 630.4 million gallons of contaminated groundwater and wastewater at the Portsmouth site, including 3.4 million gallons just last week. These aren’t cleanup milestones—they’re containment measures.

Treatment trains labeled A, C, and D, along with groundwater systems, continue to run 24/7 to prevent radioactive and chemical plumes from spreading offsite. The cost of failure? Uranium, technetium-99, solvents, and acids seeping into regional aquifers.

Every gallon treated produces concentrated radioactive sludge and solids, which are then shipped to the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility (OSWDF)—a euphemism for burying the problem a few hundred yards away.

X-326 Slab: Demolishing a Plutonium-Laced Hot Zone

Demolition crews are in Phase 7 of the X-326 Slab teardown, breaking up concrete and hauling radioactive debris into the OSWDF. But here's what the DOE doesn’t emphasize: past testing confirmed transuranic contamination in this area—including plutonium.

That’s not just a cleanup zone—it’s a radiological hazard site. Plutonium-239 has a half-life of over 24,000 years. It’s been tied to lung and bone cancers, and it doesn’t just vanish with a pressure washer.

Crews are downsizing concrete, pulling underground utilities, and continuing to pump and treat contaminated water—indicators that this slab remains an active threat. The air monitoring? Still "ongoing." The risk of airborne particulate release during concrete processing is very real.

Let’s call it what it is: the X-326 Slab is a burial ground for Cold War waste, and it's being quietly shipped to a radioactive landfill next door.

X-333: Thousands of Asbestos-Laden Panels Still Hanging

DOE reports that only 2.9% of the 16,250 Transite panels—asbestos-containing sheets that may also harbor radioactive dust—have been removed from the X-333 Process Building. That means over 15,700 hazardous panels are still sitting on the structure today.

The first panels were transferred to the OSWDF on April 24, but the glacial pace of removal raises red flags. Transite, brittle and friable with age, poses airborne dangers during demolition. Once it fractures, asbestos fibers and radionuclides can become airborne. Even with monitoring, exposure risks remain.

The DOE’s current plan includes entombing parts of the building's basement—400 truckloads of fill material are set to begin pouring in this August. Entombment is not removal. It’s a decades-old nuclear strategy designed to trap radiation in place and pass responsibility to future generations.

X-330: Contaminants Linger in Yet Another Structure

Just down the line, the X-330 Process Building is still being deactivated. DOE says Transite panel removal is 62% complete, while its “wet-air passivation” effort—a process used to chemically stabilize leftover uranium deposits—is only 47% finished.

The building is expected to enter demolition in 2026. Until then, hazardous material remains inside, including radiological residues from its uranium enrichment legacy. And yes—more concrete and metal destined for the OSWDF.

OSWDF: Portsmouth's Growing Nuclear Graveyard

Here’s the heart of the matter. The On-Site Waste Disposal Facility is now holding:

• 206,391 cubic yards of radioactive debris

• 406,329 cubic yards of contaminated soil
  That’s over 64,000 truckloads of waste buried on site.

On June 4, the DOE had to replace a leaking valve in the brand-new South Leachate Transmission System—just one month after it went online. If a system designed for 100+ years of containment is already leaking, how can the public trust this dump to safeguard radioactive materials through Ohio winters, floods, and seismic activity?

Construction is already underway for Cells 3 and 6, with Cells 7 through 10 in planning under Capital Asset Project 3. This isn’t cleanup—it’s expansion. The dump is becoming permanent.

DUF6 Cylinder Conversion: Danger in Every Drum

The Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride (DUF6) Project continues at a crawl. As of mid-June, only 388 cylinders had been processed this fiscal year. Thousands remain in outdoor storage—aging, corroding, and vulnerable.

Operations rely on just two processing lines. One was offline for maintenance this month. The DUF6 contains uranium and hydrofluoric acid—one of the most toxic and corrosive industrial chemicals on Earth. Even DOE’s own safety protocol—like the “two-minute rule”—is a blunt acknowledgment of the risk these workers face every day.

Regulatory Red Tape and Missed Deadlines

DOE submitted several regulatory responses to Ohio EPA in May and June, including comments on the demolition plan for X-330 and ongoing vapor intrusion concerns. But on June 12, the agency filed a 30-day extension request, failing to meet required deliverables.

The pace of progress remains slow, and oversight relies heavily on public pressure. Every delay, every deviation, every excuse pushes cleanup timelines further into the future.

The October 1, 2025 transition of contractors overseeing deactivation and waste management introduces new uncertainties. With so much waste still onsite, any disruption in oversight could prove disastrous.

Conclusion: The Fallout Still Lingers

The June 2025 update confirms what watchdogs have long warned: the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant cleanup is more about controlling a mess than cleaning it up.

Plutonium still haunts the slabs. Asbestos still clings to building shells. DUF6 cylinders still line the yards. And a massive, expanding landfill now defines the skyline.

The federal government calls it progress. We call it a coverup in slow motion.

Ohio Atomic Press will continue monitoring every gallon treated, every truckload buried, and every panel left hanging. Because the communities living near Portsmouth deserve the truth—not just updates.