PIKETON, Ohio - EM Senior Advisor William “Ike" White accompanied two U.S. House of Representatives members from Ohio on a visit to the Portsmouth Site on May 20, attending a listening session afterward with members of the community, representatives of the Scioto Valley Council of Governments and the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative.
It was White’s third visit to the site in south central Ohio over the past year.
During a tour of the site, White and U.S. Reps. Marcy Kaptur and Tim Ryan got a firsthand look of EM’s demolition work at Building X-326, the first of three former Portsmouth gaseous diffusion process buildings to be demolished.
Kaptur, who represents Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, is chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. Ryan represents Ohio’s 13th Congressional District and is also a member of the House Energy & Water Appropriations Subcommittee.
Demolition on Building X-326, which began last May, is approximately 80% completed. Teardown of the half-mile-long building is an EM priority for 2022.
“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges, the progress made has been remarkable," White said. “It is a testament to the talent and dedication of the workforce we have in this community."
The group observed air monitoring operations and visited the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility, where debris and rubble, including Transite from the massive X-326, is being safely transported for final disposition. They also visited former Portsmouth Site land that has been turned over to the community. Eighty acres has already been transferred and another 200 acres is in the process of being transferred.
Following the site visit, White joined Kaptur and Ryan for a listening session with the community related to the former gaseous diffusion plant, which produced enriched uranium during the Cold War beginning in 1956. In the 1960s, Portsmouth’s mission changed to focus on producing fuel for commercial nuclear power plants and other national security applications.
An extensive environmental cleanup program began at the 3,777-acre site in 1989, with deactivation and decommissioning activities initiated in 2011.
White said it is important for congressional members, DOE leaders and others to hear from members of the community.
“Our Portsmouth Site is fortunate to be surrounded by a community that shares our goals for a safe, efficient and effective cleanup," White said. “Staying engaged and maintaining a dialogue with the communities around our sites is key to successful cleanup."
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
