PIKETON, Ohio – A specter from the Cold War lingers over rural Ohio, raising fresh concerns about the lasting environmental and health impacts of uranium enrichment. A recent independent investigation has confirmed the significant uptake of neptunium-237, a highly radioactive man-made element, by plants growing near the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP).
In a study spearheaded by Dr. Michael Ketterer, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Northern Arizona University, and the environmental advocacy group Pike Residents for Environmental Safety and Security (PRESS), alarming levels of radioactive contamination have been found in the environment surrounding the former PGDP site. The findings, detailed in a newly obtained report, paint a disturbing picture. Neptunium-237, a byproduct of uranium enrichment with a half-life of 2.1 million years, has infiltrated the area, potentially exposing residents to long-term health risks.
The PGDP, operational from 1952 to 2001, played a critical role in enriching uranium for the United States’ nuclear arsenal during the Cold War. However, the enrichment process was far from pristine. Recycled uranium, containing neptunium-237 and the world’s most dangerous element, plutonium, was used as feedstock. Activist and founder of PRESS, Vina Colley, was one of the first to discover proof of plutonium contamination at Piketon. Plutonium was first detected by scientists at the plant as early as the mid-1970s.
According to Dr. Ketterer’s report, the highly soluble neptunyl cation (NpO2+), the mobile form of neptunium, has entered the groundwater, ultimately contaminating the Little Beaver and Big Beaver Creek regions near the plant. Dr. Ketterer’s team meticulously collected soil, sediment, water, and plant samples from the riparian zone (the area where land meets a stream or river) at the confluence of Little Beaver Creek and Big Beaver Creek, located downstream from the north end of the PGDP site. These samples were then analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), a technique highly sensitive to trace elements and isotopes. The results were unequivocal:
- Elevated Levels: Soil and sediment samples exhibited neptunium-237 concentrations ranging from 8 to 21 picograms per gram (pg/g), significantly higher than levels typically associated with global nuclear weapons fallout from the 1950s and 1960s.
- Source Confirmed: Isotope ratios definitively linked the neptunium to the PGDP, not historical nuclear testing. Levels of neptunium-237 were disproportionately high compared to plutonium-239, a signature element of weapons-grade fallout.
- Water Contamination: Creek water samples contained neptunium-237 at concentrations of 0.8-1.0 picograms per liter, primarily in the highly mobile neptunyl cation form. While plutonium was not detected in the water samples, its presence in the soil suggests a potential for future contamination.
- Plant Uptake: Perhaps the most alarming finding was the significant uptake of neptunium-237 by grasses in the study area. Concentrations of roughly 2 picograms per gram were measured in dry plant matter. This raises serious concerns about potential contamination of locally grown food within a 10-15 mile radius of the PGDP site, as the soil-to-plant transfer factor for neptunium was calculated to be concerningly high.
The community had previously been warned against consuming vegetables or meat locally sourced in Pike County until further testing could be performed.
These findings come at a time of heightened community anxiety surrounding the atomic plant’s environmental legacy. The planned sale of Zahn’s Corner Middle School, which abruptly closed in 2019 due to radioactive contamination concerns, serves as a stark reminder of the facility’s impact.
PRESS Founder Vina Colley told the Guardian in a press statement, “We want to ask for them to put signs in the creek that let residents know that it is radioactive and to stay away. This discovery is serious and deeply concerning.”
Dr. Ketterer’s report, with the help of local environmental groups, adds a crucial piece to the puzzle, highlighting the ongoing environmental contamination and the potential health risks posed to residents. The report underscores the need for immediate and comprehensive action. Additional research is crucial to understand the long-term behavior of neptunium and other transuranic elements (elements heavier than uranium) in the environment, particularly their transfer from soil to plants.
The legacy of the Piketon Atomic Plant is not one of national pride but of environmental negligence and potential public health consequences. The residents of Piketon deserve answers, reassurance, and a clear roadmap toward a future free from the shadow of radioactive contamination.
Protests are also scheduled for Wednesday, July 17, at Zahn’s Corner Middle School in Piketon.
The report from Dr. Ketterer can be viewed here: