WASHINGTON, D.C. — Centrus Energy, the owners of the American Centrifuge Facility in Piketon, Ohio, will address congressional leaders later this month as part of an effort to ramp up domestic uranium enrichment and expand their operations in southern Ohio.
On Thursday, the Maryland-based company announced plans to “host a special briefing on Capitol Hill to outline the path forward for restoring a large-scale, American-owned, American-technology uranium enrichment capability and the associated supply chain.”
The briefing is scheduled for September 24 at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C.
Centrus is seeking additional federal support to expand its operations in Pike County. Currently, Centrus is the only domestic company engaged in HALEU (high-assay low-enriched uranium) production, a highly sought-after nuclear fuel used by the U.S. military and advanced reactors.
Centrus has long promoted plans to restore full-scale commercial uranium enrichment capabilities, a move that has drawn both support and criticism.
Pike County is no stranger to uranium enrichment. The Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, built in the 1950s as part of the Manhattan Project, operated until the early 2000s. The plant was originally constructed as part of the secret U.S. government project to develop the nation’s first atomic bombs.
Over the years, local residents and activists have raised concerns about radioactive contamination in Pike and Scioto counties, blaming decades of uranium enrichment activities for long-term health risks.
In May 2019, the Scioto Valley Local School District Board of Education was shocked to learn that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) air monitoring stations near Zahn’s Corner Middle School detected radioactive materials in the air. Traces of hazardous substances were later found inside the school, leading to its immediate closure.
Independent testing by Dr. Michael Ketterer, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Northern Arizona University, supported the contamination claims. Ketterer’s 155-page report revealed the presence of harmful elements, including neptunium-237 and americium-241, both known to pose severe health risks. However, the DOE disputed the findings, asserting that the school was safe.
The DOE’s assurances have done little to assuage local outrage. Activist group Don’t Dump On Us has been outspoken in its criticism. “Children who attended the school (Zahn’s Corner Middle School) and employees have died from cancer. Families were changed forever because of this,” said Gina Doyle, one of the group’s founders, in a statement to the Guardian.
Joseph J. Mangano, MPH, MBA, of the Radiation and Public Health Project, echoed concerns about the health impacts of the Portsmouth site. In an op-ed, Mangano highlighted data showing Pike County had the highest rate of cancer diagnoses in Ohio from 2015 to 2019.
Portsmouth/Piketon Residents for Environmental Safety and Security, led by Vina Colley, has also condemned the restart of enrichment operations. “DOE has known about the contamination in the community for decades. They have lied and hid behind the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry,” Colley said. The American Nuclear Activist Alliance, led by Jason Salley, expressed similar outrage. “Pike County has been used as the nation’s nuclear testing lab,” said Salley.
Many activists view Centrus’ plans to resume commercial uranium enrichment as an affront to the community. “It’s like the 1950s all over again,” one resident told the Guardian. “Why do they want to clean up the site just to make it dirty again?”
Since the closure of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, the federal government has spent billions of dollars on site cleanup efforts.
Centrus hopes to secure congressional backing to advance its proposed commercial uranium enrichment operations in Pike County.
