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nestled at the intersection of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers lies the quiet city of Paducah Kentucky with a population of just over 25,000 Paducah is by no means a major world city yet just ten miles outside of its city limits lies a facility that has helped keep America at the forefront of the world's powers invisible from the city itself and approachable only by a simple two-lane road is a massive industrial complex covering more than eight hundred acres the facility was originally constructed in 1952 along with similar facilities at Oak Ridge Tennessee in Portsmouth Ohio to enrich uranium for use in the production of nuclear weapons since the closure of the Tennessee and Ohio plants the Paducah plant currently is the only u.s. owned operating gaseous diffusion uranium enrichment facility in the United States officially named the Paducah gaseous diffusion plant it continues to operate producing enriched uranium used in fuel rods at more than 100 nuclear power plants across the nation as well as for plants internationally the plant employs approximately 1,200 workers and has contributed an estimated five billion dollars to the local economy over the course of its existence on December 8 1941 residents of Paducah awoke to learn that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor America was at war like the rest of the nation Paducah rallied to support the war effort husbands fathers and brothers went to fight while women took their places in the factories at home when war was declared the people of Paducah received word that Kentucky senator alben Barkley had helped to secure a 30 million dollar contract to build a munitions plant in northwestern McCracken County just outside of Paducah the land needed for this facility required 250 families to hastily pack up their belongings and find new homes though few wanted to move the government gave them 10 days notice before evicting them from the land families were forced to live in tents garages and coal sheds until permanent accommodations could be acquired although many families were forced to relocate the money brought in by the project proved very beneficial to the area $20 bills instead of one dollar bills began circulating among the people during the next seven months 6,000 workers aided in facility construction and the plant was finally completed in April 1943 known as the Kentucky ordinance works the facility was the largest TNT manufacturing plant in the world producing 393 million pounds of TNT during the war its six lines produced TNT and concentrated sulfuric acid for use in bombs mines torpedoes and other munitions the plant was virtually self-sufficient with its own cafeteria hospital laundry steam plant for electricity railroad with 16 miles of track and water and sewer systems the water system was considered the best in Kentucky and is still in operation supplying millions of gallons of water per day to the P GDP the close of the war meant the close of the munitions plant soon Paducah was left with hundreds of unemployed citizens and a large empty facility in addition the government ordered the land not to be used for anything for fear of a fire or explosion from any possible TNT residue in 1938 scientists at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin split a uranium atom thus trailblazing the way for nuclear fission and paving the way for atomic weapons a small group of refugee physicists who had fled Europe recognized the dangers that could arise from the Berlin experiments these scientists knew that given sufficient time and resources Nazi Germany would be able to create a super weapon an atomic bomb in the summer of 1939 three of these scientists approached Albert Einstein and asked him to write a letter to President Roosevelt explaining the dangers this letter led to the creation of a secret uranium committee and ultimately to the creation of the Manhattan Project on August 13th 1942 as American scientists pursued the creation of an atomic bomb they eventually realized that a uranium enriched bomb was their best option scientists determined that in order to make an atomic bomb they would need 64 kilograms of uranium 235 however in 1942 such an amount did not exist anywhere in the world therefore scientists decided they must develop a way to enrich natural uranium to produce the necessary 64 kilograms of uranium-235 a uranium enrichment facility was erected in Oak Ridge Tennessee to find the most effective method of achieving this goal eventually scientists were able to enrich enough uranium for use in a nuclear weapon after defeating Nazi Germany using conventional weapons and with atomic weapons now at its disposal American actions brought a quick end to the Allies war with Japan with the arrival of the Atomic Age came a new power struggle mainly between two nations the US and the Soviet Union both possessed nuclear arsenals and an arms race soon developed between the two of them On January 12 1950 US Secretary of State Dean Acheson delivered his perimeter speech outlining geographic areas around the world that the u.s. was prepared to represent to protect its foreign interests one month later the USSR signed a treaty of cooperation with China the battle lines had been drawn thus began the old war between the US and the USSR in August 1950 the US government identified a need to double the capacity for existing domestic fissionable materials produced at Oak Ridge Tennessee it was decided that an additional gaseous diffusion plant must be built to fuel enough atomic bombs to halt the USSR alben Barkley the senator who had supported the placement of Kentucky ordnance works in Paducah had since become vice president of the United States under President Harry Truman a Paducah native he did his best to promote the McCracken County site experts visited each site before making their decision impressed by the strategic location and geographic advantages of McCracken County they recommended the former ko W site immediately after visiting it news quickly spread throughout the country that Paducah had been chosen as the site for a 1/2 billion dollar atomic plant as well as an additional 184 million dollar steam facility needed to supply power to the enrichment facility based on the success of the Oakridge plant officials decided to use the gaseous diffusion process for uranium enrichment at the new Paducah plant in this process natural uranium comprised of the two isotopes uranium 235 and uranium 238 is mixed with fluorine gas and is pumped under high pressure through a series of membranes or barriers that are located in large tanks called converters the u-235 moves through the barriers more quickly because it is slightly lighter leading to an increased concentration of u-235 after passing through 1760 converters the uranium can be enriched to 2 to 5 percent uranium-235 depending on the needs of the client already owning the 16,100 26-acre KO w site the AEC purchased an additional 3,000 335 acres for the construction of the gaseous diffusion plant in September 1950 the federal government also purchased over 150 transmission line easements for the construction of the massive electrical infrastructure necessary to power the plant construction of the site began in early January 19 51 with the demolition of most ko W buildings and the repair of the abandoned ko W railroad line approximately 23,000 workers were hired to construct the facility as well as an additional six thousand to construct the steam plants construction on the gaseous diffusion facility lasted from 1951 through 1956 and was conducted in two phases construction of the first phase began on January 2nd 1951 once the old ko W buildings were demolished and the railroad repaired a number of new buildings were erected the C 333 and C 331 process buildings covered more than 1 million square feet enough to hold 21 football fields and contained hundreds of diffusion converters both of these buildings were completed and operational in September 1952 and by November of that year enriched uranium was being produced in Paducah in addition a state-of-the-art laboratory was constructed to conduct testing and continue research at the plant authorization to proceed with the second phase of plant construction was received on July 15 1952 two additional enrichment facilities C 337 and C 335 were added construction on the facility was finally completed in 1956 when completed all four buildings had a total footprint of approximately 74 acres many changes came to Paducah at the end of 1950 all over town empty rooms began to fill locals noted that they encountered more strangers on the streets the Christmas shopping season was one of the most profitable in memory the increasing number of house trailers came rolling in mostly with license plates from Tennessee Oklahoma and Texas the front of employment applications began in March 1951 as approximately 1,700 permanent plant employees would be needed to operate the facility displaced during the Depression era and following World War two former Paducah residents living in such cities as Detroit Chicago Akron st. Louis and Peoria finally had the opportunity to return to their beloved hometown banks hired extra clerks to process the thousands of payroll checks as workers lined up for blocks one of the most notable issues Paducah faced as a result of the rapid growth was the traffic roadways were plagued by traffic jams overuse and parking problems the Paducah City Police Force quickly established a separate division to help alleviate some of the traffic issues while traffic in town proved to be a major issue roads nearer to the plant were even more heavily congested with more than ten thousand cars and trucks going to and from the area daily parking meter receipts doubled in the first three years of plant construction a system of one-way streets was implemented and parking was expanded to meet padukas new needs between 1950 and 1953 the Public Works Department spent nearly 1 million dollars improving Paducah roads with a population of 33,000 and 1950 Paducah had nearly doubled in size within three years housing was a major issue for the burgeoning town surplus housing was sold quickly and locals rented out spare rooms addict's and even outbuildings trailer courts sprang up around the town's perimeter and some people found themselves living in tents the AEC built a 1,000 room temporary barracks plant site in 1951 to accommodate workers and the government provided funding for hundreds of apartment buildings and at least 175 houses there was this great rush of people in from all over the country and it was not uncommon do you see pickup trucks with license plates from Texas and Oklahoma come with a trailer behind them Paducah suddenly found itself trying desperately to accommodate this influx without any assistance primarily from the federal government we have pretty much on our own spare bedrooms the rate I remember wound up dramatically you could get a room four full four dollars a week and the time is over it almost doubled and they finally brought in some price controlled housing and suddenly chicken coops became apartment buildings I remember talking to a friend of mine who was working here and he got a room but he had to share it it was a bed was all it was and he was working night shift and he did know who was getting the bed rest the time found out later was a young lady but they never saw each other demands on the plant and the employees were high given the requirements of the Cold War work was difficult production schedules were challenging and the plant environment was often hot loud dirty and laden with noxious fumes despite these conditions people flocked for jobs at the plant as it provided some of the better paying jobs in the local area if not the multi-state region workers believe that the mission of the plant was important to national security and they worked hard to meet expectations accordingly being an employee of the plant engendered respect many of the plants original operators and workers were military veterans who viewed the opportunity to work the plant as a way to continue their service to the country there was civic pride in the fact that Paducah was the location of a facility that played such an important role for the nation to be hired prospective employees needed first to obtain security clearance the first step in getting a clearance was to fill out a personnel security questionnaire which detailed their lives since birth after successful investigation clearance was granted and a badge was processed this badge was to be worn at all times while inside the fence due to the high security concerns employees were not permitted to talk about their job even with other plant personnel except on a need-to-know every worker entering the plant had to be granted access by a guard every vehicle entering or leaving the plant had to pass through a checkpoint the Paducah plant in many ways is a small town in itself it has fire and security departments water and sewage treatment facilities and a steam plant to provide heat throughout the facility a medical facility staffed by a doctor physician's assistant and nurses has provided medical services to plant employees since the plant was built fire department employees have provided 24-hour coverage for any medical or process emergency which might arise management has continued to upgrade equipment through the years donating equipment to local community volunteer fire departments the plant has dedicated trained Emergency Squad members in addition to fire department personnel these volunteers attend monthly training sessions and respond with the fire department to all types of plant emergencies the Emergency Squad is an integral part of emergency response of a plant and these personnel are intimately familiar with the process buildings in which they work members of the broader community outside the plant also have benefited from the training provided to fire department personnel and the Emergency Squad the plant actively supports its neighbors in emergency situations and has responded to numerous vehicle accidents on the plant access road over the years several companies have managed the plant these include Union Carbide Martin Marietta and the United States enrichment corporation or US ici since the plant's inception management of the facility has coordinated recreational and seasonal activities for entertainment stress relief and team-building leaders felt that strong families contributed to a strong plant and the well-being of employees therefore the plant has sponsored a number of seasonal parties as well as such sporting activities as bowling softball golf and volleyball among others in fact many employees and their families learn to swim on Saturday mornings when the plant reserved a local pool for their use the plant even developed a local coral group that sang at various functions through the years employee safety is a continuing focus of the plant to ensure their protection safe use of hazardous chemicals is continuously emphasized through training safety meetings bulletins and reviews of lessons learned the plant is proud of its safety record with only three fatalities in 60 years of operation as well as the numerous awards it has earned in the 1960s the mission of the plant shifted to a commercial focus as nuclear energy emerged as an important power source civilian energy demands were increasing and nuclear energy helped meet this demand the plant underwent a major upgrade beginning in the 1970s and finished in 1982 at a cost of 550 million dollars during this time hundreds of employees were added to the payroll components in the production buildings were removed cleaned in the c400 building and upgraded in the c720 building once improvements were complete components were reinstalled crews that worked in the process buildings removing and reinstalling equipment called themselves cell rats some were budding artists in addition to their normal jobs and left artwork which endures to this day during the late 1990s additional modifications were made in the major process buildings to make them more reliable in the event of an earthquake buildings and piping were retrofitted with structural EAL bracing and components were fitted with expansion joints to make th m more flexible during decades of plant operations some chemicals used at the facility and other industrial sites throughout the country have been identified as presenting hazards to employees and the environment examples of such chemicals include polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs and trichloroethylene TCE both of which had to be phased out and are now regulated over the years such chemicals have leaked into the soils and groundwater at the plant in 1988 it was discovered that radioisotopes had leaked into the groundwater near the facility soon after additional environmental impacts were found near the plant the chemical degreaser TCE was detected in nearby drinking water wells leading to the discovery of a very large TCE groundwater plume as a result the Department of Energy provided alternative water sources for the citizens living in the affected area and continues to do so in addition to groundwater pollution the area has also been contaminated by such hazardous chemicals as PCBs along with heavy metals and radioactive materials subsequently the Paducah plant was placed on the US Environmental Protection Agency's national priority list of Superfund sites in the ensuing decades the Department of Energy has spent more than two billion dollars in cleanup at the facility with site cleanup activities likely to continue past 2020 in light of the contamination some local residents and former employees have raised concerns about the possible health effects of the plant these concerns have been investigated by several federal agencies as well as by local and national newspapers while some concerns have been found to be unsubstantiated others were not in 1999 then US Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson traveled to Paducah to issue a formal apology to plant workers who had been unknowingly exposed to dangerous radiation the Department of Labor currently manages a special compensation program for workers who have developed illnesses that are potentially related to hazardous exposures at the plant despite the use of common industry practices at the time these facts are reminders that the workers at Paducah who served their country during the Cold War should be considered Patriots continuing to work behind the scenes in a hazardous environment as part of the nation's defense as in all wars the cost of freedom is never cheap while some individuals may have not served on the front lines of battle their sacrifices are no less important and should not be forgotten as of 2012 the short-term future of the P GDP remains uncertain more cost efficient methods of enriching uranium such as centrifuge technology use far less electricity and have replaced gaseous diffusion one pending proposal is to construct a new 3.5 billion dollar American centrifuge technology and manufacturing center in Portsmouth Ohio to replace the gaseous diffusion process occurring in Paducah in the meantime elected leaders in the community continue to work to identify the site's next mission regardless future cleanup by goe is expected to continue into the future while the focus of the P GDP site may soon change the proud tradition and rich heritage established there will continue as the Paducah community continues to work toward making the site a valuable asset to the local state and world economy the Paducah gaseous diffusion plant was constructed in a time when national leaders perceived an immediate threat to national security the plant was constructed in record time and built from specifications from some of the most brilliant engineers this country had to offer to the credit of the construction workers design engineers and plant employees the plant has successfully stood the test of time in 2012 it is still producing enriched uranium to power 20 to 25 percent of the nation's electricity while there have been environmental in health costs associated with the plant the facility also has provided significant financial support to workers their families and the community over the decades economic stability unknown to this area before the plants construction has contributed greatly to the community's prosperity it is estimated that the Paducah gaseous diffusion plant has contributed approximately 5 billion dollars to the local economy during its existence in addition the plant itself has contributed tens of dollars to various charities over the years with over 1200 workers the plant is a proud symbol of the Paducah community and a testimony to the sacrifice of its citizens in defense of the liberties that American citizens continue to hold dear you