Balancing promise and precaution: Piketon’s new nuclear chapter

PIKETON, Ohio – The American Centrifuge facility, also known locally as the Piketon Atomic Plant, has returned to the forefront of nuclear news.

In the previous month, 96 U.S. Senators, cast their votes in favor of an amendment to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. The amendment’s aim is to “mandate the Secretary of Energy to establish a Nuclear Fuel Security Program, expand the American Assured Fuel Supply, establish a HALEU for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Demonstration Projects Program, and submit a report on a civil nuclear credit program, and to enhance programs to build workforce capacity to meet critical mission needs of the Department of Energy.”

Central to this effort is the production of a specialized uranium product known as HALEU. High-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) represents a distinctive variation of uranium fuel featuring an enrichment level spanning 5% to 20% uranium-235. This enrichment scope surpasses the standard 3.5% employed in commercial nuclear reactors but remains below the threshold of 90% or higher enrichment used in nuclear weapons.

HALEU assumes a pivotal role in the progression of nuclear technology, particularly in the context of advanced nuclear reactors. These reactors aim for amplified efficiency and reduced waste compared to traditional counterparts.

With the ongoing Ukrainian crisis, dependence on Russian-enriched uranium is dwindling. In December 2022, Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming penned a letter to Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, questioning the Department of Energy’s (DOE) pace in ensuring a domestic HALEU source. This domestic production push is also aligned with President Joe Biden’s long-term plan for a greener America with zero carbon emissions by 2030, as nuclear energy takes a central role.

The manufacturing process for HALEU involves intricate procedures and substantial resource allocation. However, its significance emanates from its contribution to the evolution of advanced nuclear reactors. As part of this trajectory, the United States government is investing in establishing HALEU production facilities. Simultaneously, diverse private entities are engaged in developing innovative technologies geared toward efficient HALEU production. Currently, all HALEU utilized in the United States is imported from foreign countries, with Russia being the largest global producer, contributing almost 30% of the worldwide supply.

A spokesperson from Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown’s Office emphasized that the proposed amendment’s passage represents a significant stride towards reducing reliance on Russian-origin-enriched uranium. 

Responding to the call for domestic HALEU production, Centrus, the operator of the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, secured the first and sole licensure to produce HALEU within the United States. In June, Centrus and the DOE announced their intention to run a HALEU cascade demonstration, showcasing the plant’s capability to generate this coveted nuclear fuel. After receiving approval for final inspections, the projection is to produce 20 kilograms of HALEU by the close of 2023. Subsequently, during the second phase of operation, an estimated 900 kilograms will be produced in a year. According to the Department of Energy, the United States requires production of 40 metric tons to eliminate foreign nuclear fuel dependence entirely. In November 2022, the plant received $30 million for the cascade demonstration’s initiation.

Republican Representative Brad Wenstrup said in a statement last year that he is proud to fight for the funding to bring nuclear fuel back to Pike County. “The High-Assay-Low-Enriched-Uranium Demonstration Project is a significant step forward for fully domestic enrichment technology, and I am proud to have fought for funding to ensure this project continues to move forward.”

A spokesperson for Centrus told the Guardian that they strongly support the bipartisan efforts of Congress to accelerate U.S. HALEU production. “We look forward to launching first-of-a-kind HALEU production by the end of this year,” they said. The company, like members of Congress, views the current lack of American HALEU as a serious pressing matter. “The domestic source of HALEU we are building in Piketon is urgently needed to power a new generation of reactors to meet the growing global need for carbon-free energy.” Centrus believes that Piketon is at the epicenter of clean energy and that their work will help bring additional jobs to the region. “Our operations in Piketon already support more than 120 high-paying jobs for hardworking Ohioans. A potential expansion to commercial scale production would enable us to mobilize hundreds of union workers to help us build and operate the plant.”

However, this optimism for nuclear independence is met with strong criticism from activists, who cite the history of the neighboring Gaseus Diffusion plant, and the alarmingly high cancer rates among Pike County’s population.

The now decommissioned Gaseous Diffusion Plant (GDP), which started making nuclear fuel in 1954, has been met with health concerns. The plant ceased gaseous enrichment operations in May 2001 after it consolidated operations at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky. The following year, transfer and shipping operations were also consolidated in Paducah. Since then, the plant has been undergoing “decontamination” and “deconstruction” to the tune of billions of dollars.

Recently cleanup operations were turned over to the Southern Ohio Cleanup Company. SOCCo, LLC. is a newly formed limited liability company made up of members of Amentum Environment and Energy, INC., Flour Federal Services, INC., and Cavendish Nuclear (USA) Incorporated. “Amentum and our heritage companies have a long history of supporting the DOE’s environmental management program and have managed numerous decontamination and decommissioning projects across the DOE complex. Our extensive experience at the Oak Ridge Reservation enables us to bring advanced technical solutions to complete the work safely and effectively at Portsmouth,” said Amentum CEO John Heller. Many of the companies involved in the cleanup operations have a history of alleged violations, false claims, and even fraud. In 2020, AECOM Energy & Construction Inc. (now part of Amentum) and its subsidiary Waste Treatment Completion Company LLC paid nearly $58 million dollars to the United States government to settle fraud allegations. The allegations lodged by the federal government said the company charged for work that was not done. 

The current cleanup of the GDP has created a whirlwind of controversies since it began.

In 2019, Zahn’s Corner Middle School closed due to reported contamination within the school building. The Scioto Valley Local School District, at the time, informed the community of the discovery of Neptunium 237 (Np-237), a man-made radioactive element characterized by a 2.144-million-year half-life, in air samples at the school. Np-237 poses significant radioactivity and potential hazards to human health, manifesting in severe repercussions upon ingestion or inhalation, including cancer. The introduction of Np-237 into the environment can occur through the discharge of nuclear waste. Health impacts, experts say, are contingent on the level and mode of exposure, with short-term exposure leading to symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and prolonged exposure heightening cancer risks. Its presence in the environment is also concerning, as its persistence can lead to contamination of soil, water, and air, along with its accumulation in plants and animals that enter the human food chain.

Private air monitoring stations have reported numerous radioactive isotopes in areas surrounding the plant, extending to Lucasville and Chillicothe.

In April 2019, Dr. Michael Ketterer, Professor Emeritus at Northern Arizona University, released a report following the identification of radioactive contamination within a Lucasville resident’s home. The report concluded that Neptunium and Plutonium found in homes and private air monitoring stations were directly linked to the “Atomic Plant.”

As per the Ohio Department of Health, Pike County’s cancer incidence rate between 2014 and 2018 exceeded the state average by 14% and the national average by 19%. The county predominantly sees cases of Lung and Bronchus cancer, along with elevated rates of Breast Cancer among female residents. A study led by Joseph J. Mangano, MHP, MPA, an epidemiologist and the executive director of the Radiation and Public Health Project, further highlighted that Pike County boasts the highest cancer rates among Ohio’s 88 counties.

In 2020, former plant employees filed a lawsuit against contractors working for the U.S. Department of Energy at the time, alleging the creation of a hazardous environment for workers and nearby residents. The lawsuit, initially branding the contractors involved in “cleaning up the facility” a “criminal enterprise,” was linked to the release of dangerous “isotopes” and “radioactive material” over the years. An additional federal lawsuit was filed against Centrus and the previous site cleanup contractors alleging similar allegations of radioactive contamination in homes near the plant. That lawsuit is still ongoing in federal courts. 

While the facility is viewed as a regional economic cornerstone, supplying numerous jobs, concerns about safety outweigh the financial benefits in the eyes of many community members. Vina Colley, a former employee of the GDP, is among those who have taken a stand against the facility. Colley, who has vocally decried rising cancer rates and linked radioactive contamination to the GDP clean-up efforts, appeals for a thorough examination of reports and facts before advocating for full-time operations at the neighboring Centrus facility. She calls upon current Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to take action and to listen to those affected by the radioactive contamination.

Activist groups in the state continue to push for Ohioans, particularly those affected by the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion plant, to receive compensation under RECA due to potential radiation-related health concerns. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (“RECA”), established under 42 U.S.C. § 2210 note, offers compensation to individuals who suffered serious illnesses due to presumed radiation exposure during atmospheric nuclear tests or uranium industry work. Administered by the Attorney General, the program provides lump sum awards for three groups: Uranium Miners, Millers, and Ore Transporters; “Onsite Participants” in nuclear tests; and individuals who lived downwind of the Nevada Test Site (“Downwinders”). 

The Department of Energy maintains that the new HALEU production is conducted within stringent safety parameters and is isolated from the surrounding environment. “We are committed to the highest standards of safety and security in our operations,” said a Centrus spokesperson. However, the glaring disparity between official assurances and the community’s lived experiences underscores the need for transparent oversight and accountability.

The development of HALEU and the decommissioning of the GDP aren’t the sole ongoing projects. Recently, OKLO, an advanced nuclear reactor manufacturer based in Santa Clara, California, announced a partnership with the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI) to establish two nuclear power plants on the site. These new advanced reactors, fueled by Centrus-produced HALEU, are expected to provide 30MW of electric power and 50MW of heating. Additionally, a collaboration has been forged between TerraPower, owned by Bill Gates, and Centrus to supply their upcoming facility in Wyoming with the same nuclear fuel. In a recent tweet, Centrus expressed strong support from Bill Gates for expanding HALEU-fueled reactors, with plans to pioneer U.S. HALEU production by year-end. This production expansion aims to facilitate the global deployment of these advanced technologies. TerraPower under the leadership of Bill Gates, hopes to create 5 more nuclear plants by the year 2035.

Known widely as the founder of Microsoft, Gates has emerged as a staunch advocate for nuclear energy despite the potential dangers. “Nuclear energy, if done correctly, will aid us in achieving our climate objectives,” Gates remarked in an interview with ABC News. Conversely, those on the opposing end point to the potential hazards of nuclear mishaps, invoking the catastrophic nuclear disaster at Chernobyl near the city of Pripyat, Ukraine. On April 26, 1986, an accident unfolded during a safety test intended to assess the plant’s capability to employ steam turbines for powering emergency “feedwater pumps” in the event of power and coolant loss. This test led to a steam explosion, subsequently resulting in a reactor meltdown and the release of perilous radiation on an unprecedented scale. In a more recent nuclear catastrophe, the Japanese Fukushima plant in 2011 suffered damage due to an earthquake and subsequent tsunami. These twin natural calamities culminated in three nuclear meltdowns, three hydrogen explosions, and the discharge of radioactive contaminants. Even 12 years after the incident, the full extent of the disaster continues to be scrutinized, with scientists asserting that it might take decades to grasp the complete ramifications of the event. 

As Pike County stands at a crossroads between energy aspirations and the well-being of its residents, the narrative remains unresolved. The plant’s potential economic contributions are juxtaposed against the harrowing health impacts experienced by its neighbors. In this critical juncture, Pike County looks to its leaders and decision-makers to bridge the gap between ambition and accountability, charting a path that ensures a safer, healthier, and more sustainable future for all.