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101-609: 39°00′30″N 83°00′00″W  /  39.00833°N 83.00000°W  / 39.00833; -83.00000 The plant, so named because of its proximity to the city of Portsmouth, Ohio , approximately 22 miles south of the site, was one of three gaseous diffusion plants in the U.S., alongside the K-25 plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee , and the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant near Paducah, Kentucky . The plant

202-588: A Shawnee village was founded at the site of modern-day Portsmouth in late 1758, following the abandonment of Lower Shawneetown . European-Americans began to settle in the 1790s after the American Revolutionary War, and the small town of Alexandria was founded. Located at the confluence, Alexandria was flooded numerous times by the Ohio and the Scioto rivers. In 1796, Emanuel Traxler became

303-405: A class-action lawsuit that was filed on behalf of area residents by a group of attorneys led by toxic tort specialist Stuart Smith . The school remained closed as of the 2020–2021 school year. Portsmouth, Ohio Portsmouth is a city in and the county seat of Scioto County, Ohio , United States. Located in southern Ohio 41 miles (66 km) south of Chillicothe , it lies on

404-495: A sole proprietorship . In 1912, two of his sons, Ralph and George Kiewit, joined their father as partners in the firm. One of their constructions was the Omaha Fire Department Hose Company No. 4 building, erected in 1913. When the founding Peter Kiewit died in 1914, his son Ralph led the company. George and Ralph Kiewit left the company. The founder's youngest son, Peter Kiewit Jr., joined

505-503: A $ 2 billion loan guarantee for the planned uranium-enrichment facility in Piketon, "causing the initiative to go into financial meltdown", USEC spokesperson Elizabeth Stuckle said, adding, "We are now forced to initiate steps to demobilize the project." On July 28, 2009, the company said was suspending work on the project because of the DOE's decision not to provide loan guarantees. The DOE said

606-496: A Community Revitalization Plan. In January 2016, Portsmouth's plan, which emphasized using its most valuable asset, the Ohio River, as a key to revitalizing the city, earned it one of 15 spots in the competition's semifinals. In April 2016, Portsmouth was one of seven cities eliminated at the semifinal round, but received an additional $ 25,000 for use in continuing to develop its plans to improve commercial and community access to

707-490: A K9 who died protecting his partner, is a recreational dog park implemented in 2019 that gives people a place to walk their dogs and have leisure time. A new skate-park, designed by Spohn Ranch Skateparks, is planned for construction in the near future. The McKinley Swimming Pool, on Findley Street, was built during the Civil Rights era in memory of Eugene McKinley, a 14-year-old who drowned. Portsmouth's other pool in

808-687: A Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District. Portsmouth formed a Downtown Redevelopment District (DRD) in 2017 in the Boneyfiddle neighborhood to increase investment and development there. Through the early 21st century, there has been a noticeable increase in investment in Portsmouth's local economy. New investments and developments in the local economy led to Portsmouth's inclusion in Site Selection Magazine ' s "Top 10 Micropolitan areas". Celina, Defiance and Portsmouth were among

909-469: A capacity of 8.3 million separative work units per year (SWU/year) in 1984 in 4,080 stages. Three buildings – X-326, X-330 and X-333 – housed gaseous diffusion equipment, and three cooling tower complexes – X-626, X-630 and X-633 – were used to remove process heat. Six hundred eighty-nine million U.S. gallons (2,610 million liters) of water went through the 11 cooling towers daily, of which 20 million U.S. gallons (76 million liters) evaporated into

1010-540: A consensus vision to reindustrialize appropriate portions of the Portsmouth site property. Economic development and local job creation dominated local residents' desires for the site. SODI was designated by DOE to be the Community Reuse Organization for the Portsmouth site in 1995. SODI serves Pike, Ross, Scioto and Jackson counties with a clear mission through economic diversification, development, asset transition and business development. In 2018,

1111-486: A continuous caster to replace the obsolete soaking pits and blooming mill in 1995. When the steel mill closed, 1,300 steelworkers were laid off. As of 2010, Portsmouth has a population of approximately 20,000. It has shared in the loss of jobs due to unskilled labor outsourcing and population migration to more populous urban areas. Despite its relatively small size, Portsmouth has been a regular stop for recent presidential campaigns. In September 2004, George W. Bush visited

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1212-735: A contract to design, build and operate the DUF6 conversion plants to convert the DUF6 to uranium oxide and hydrofluoric acid. In December 2010, the DOE awarded Babcock & Wilcox Conversion Services LLC (BWCS) a contract to operate the DUF6 Conversion Plants through March 2016; it completed the transition of the contract for initial operations of the DUF6 Project in March 2011. Both plants were expected to be fully operational in fall 2011. As of June 2022, Mid-America Conversion Services

1313-413: A cost of $ 750 million. The site was completed several months ahead of schedule at 34% below the original cost estimate at a $ 400 million savings. Operations at the Portsmouth plant began in 1954 while construction was ongoing, with the plant coming fully online in early 1956 – several months ahead of schedule. The primary mode of enrichment was the gaseous diffusion of uranium hexafluoride to separate

1414-585: A decision on the August 2018 termination request at the time of the June 2019 request withdraw. On October 31, 2019, ACO signed a three-year contract with the DOE (HALEU Demonstration Contract Number 89303519CNE000005) to deploy a cascade of centrifuges to demonstrate production of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU). The intended use of this HALEU is as fuel for future advanced reactors, which require this higher – but still far below weapons-grade – enrichment. Under

1515-433: A female householder with no husband present, and 42.8% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.87. In the city the population was spread out, with 22.0% under 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 or older. The median age

1616-486: A group of cities tied for 10th. Portsmouth attracted nine significant economic development projects in 2016, nearly as many as it had from 2004 to 2013 combined. In 2014, Portsmouth was one of 350 cities to enter a submission in the America's Best Communities competition, hoping to win the $ 3 million first place prize. In April 2015, Portsmouth was chosen as one of the 50 quarter-finalists, winning $ 50,000 to help prepare

1717-408: A group of local divers led by an Ironton historian. The rock's removal led Kentucky and Ohio into a legislative battle to determine its ownership and disposition. The rock was returned to Kentucky in 2010. Portsmouth's leaders and citizens have organized to win certification for several Guinness World Records for the city. In 2018, the "Friends Plant Portsmouth" participants shattered the record for

1818-428: A large project was completed to remove 7,640 short tons (6,930 metric tons) of scrap material by shearing and disposing of 382 old process equipment converter shells. Between 2003 and 2010, more than 2.10 million cubic feet (59,500 cubic meters) of legacy waste was removed from the site. In September 2010, the DOE awarded the $ 1.2 billion follow-up contract to Fluor-B&W Portsmouth LLC, which continues to serve as

1919-526: A license to construct and operate the larger, commercial-scale American Centrifuge Plant in the same complex of structures as the Lead Cascade, plus some new construction. The NRC issued Special Nuclear Materials License SNM-2011 on Docket 70-7004 to USEC to construct and operate the proposed plant at the Portsmouth site in April 2007, and construction began the next month. In July 2009, the DOE did not grant

2020-692: A multi-year effort in the 2010s, the DOE worked with stakeholders to understand the community’s future use vision for the Portsmouth site after cleanup is complete. With the assistance of the PORTSfuture Project and interaction with the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI), the Portsmouth Site Specific Advisory Board, elected officials, economic development professionals and others, the community has expressed

2121-660: A new test cascade of U.S.-designed and fabricated, commercial-ready AC-100 centrifuge machines at the American Centrifuge Lead Cascade Facility. This demonstration, sometimes referred to as the American Centrifuge Project, was then terminated in 2015 by the Obama Administration . Centrus ceased enrichment development operations at the Portsmouth site and began decontamination and decommissioning work at

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2222-729: A political career. After being elected to Congress, he wrote the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution , which abolished slavery in 1865 after the American Civil War. Portsmouth quickly developed an industrial base due to its location at the confluence of the Ohio and Scioto rivers. Early industrial growth included having meat packing and shipping facilities for Thomas Worthington's Chillicothe farm, located north of Portsmouth on

2323-512: A process building was completed while construction continued in other parts of the building. Groundbreaking for the plant was on November 18, 1952. Earthmovers began leveling the rolling farmland for the building foundations on the same day. One hundred thousand short tons (91,000 metric tons) of structural steel, 14,500 short tons (13,200 metric tons) of reinforcing steel in the concrete floors, 600 miles (970 kilometers) of process piping and 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) of copper tubing were used in

2424-528: A rally at Shawnee State University. Portsmouth and other parts of Scioto County have worked to redevelop blighted properties and create a new economy. Along with adapting disused residential properties, Portsmouth has begun the process of transforming abandoned industrial and commercial properties to other uses. The city has initiated new developments in its downtown. The Ohio Legislature passed House Bill 233 on April 20, 2016, to authorize cities to create Downtown Redevelopment Districts. They operate similarly to

2525-661: Is an American privately held construction company based in Omaha, Nebraska founded in 1884. In 2021, it was ranked 243rd on the Fortune 500 . Privately held , it is one of the largest construction and engineering organizations in North America. It is an employee-owned company. The company was founded in 1884 as Kiewit Brothers Masonry Contractors by Peter and Andrew Kiewit, who were of Dutch descent. Their father, John Kiewit, emigrated from The Hague in 1857, where he learned

2626-470: Is an eight-ton sandstone boulder that until 2007 rested at the bottom of the Ohio River . Historically, the boulder was used to record low river stages. It is notable due to its history and the figures and names of people carved into the rock at times of low water levels. In 1917, the construction of a dam downriver from Portsmouth meant that the rock would forever be submerged, if not for its recovery by

2727-417: Is at the confluence of the Ohio , Scioto , and Little Scioto rivers. It is a midway point among four major cities: Charleston, West Virginia ; Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio ; and Lexington, Kentucky , each of which is about 90 miles away (roughly a two-hour drive). Much of the terrain is quite hilly due to dissected plateau around it. Both rivers have carved valleys and Portsmouth lies next to both

2828-560: Is being cleaned up for future development by Fluor/ B&W. Graf Brothers Flooring and Lumber , the world's largest manufacturer of rift and quartered oak products, has two satellite log yards in Portsmouth, with the company's main office across the river in South Shore, Kentucky . Portsmouth is the home of Sole Choice Inc., one of the world's largest manufacturers of shoelaces. Many historical buildings in Portsmouth have been demolished because of poor upkeep, other city development, or

2929-411: Is being conducted by Fluor-B&W Portsmouth LLC. The former gaseous diffusion plant covers 640 acres (260 hectares) of the 3,777-acre (1,528-hectare) site. The largest buildings – the process buildings – have a combined length of approximately one and a half miles (2.4 kilometers), and cover about 93 acres (38 hectares) and contain 10 million square feet (0.93 square kilometres) of space. In use,

3030-784: Is known as the Portsmouth Wall of Fame and was instituted by then-mayor Frank Gerlach. Honorees include Don Gullett , Al Oliver , and Dan Quayle , who is not a Portsmouth native. In 1992 a nonprofit group headed by Louis R. and Ava Chaboudy was formed to investigate developing a mural -based tourist attraction on the floodwall. In 1993, muralist Robert Dafford was commissioned and began painting murals of Portsmouth's history. He hired local art student Herb Roe as an assistant. Roe apprenticed to and worked for Dafford for 15 years. The project eventually spanned sixty 20 feet (6.1 m) tall consecutive Portsmouth murals, stretching for over 2,000 feet (610 m). The murals cover subjects from

3131-510: Is the operator of the facility. Enrichment of isotopes of several elements was pursued using gas centrifuge technology prior to World War II . The DOE originally began developing gas centrifuge technology for mass production uranium enrichment in the early 1960s. During the early 1980s, the DOE had begun construction of a centrifuge enrichment plant known as the DOE Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plant (GCEP) at

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3232-562: The Detroit Lions ). In November 2016, the city won a $ 25,000 State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant for the stadium's renovation. The Portsmouth Public Library is the city's library, founded in 1879. It has branch libraries throughout Scioto County. The Southern Ohio Museum, founded in 1979, has more than 60 exhibits, including artwork by Clarence Holbrook Carter and Jesse Stuart , China dolls, Native American artifacts, and works by local artists. Although developed on higher ground,

3333-594: The Idaho National Laboratory operated by Battelle Energy Alliance . Notably, the project does not seek to identify, approve, license or construct any facility at the site, but to prepare information that might be useful to future decision makers. A DOE air monitor adjacent to Zahn's Corner Middle School – which is located in Piketon, Ohio, just two miles (3.2 kilometers) from the plant – detected airborne Neptunium-237 and Americium-241 in 2017 and 2018, respectively. These detections were reported in

3434-685: The Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in nearby Piketon, Ohio , was recognized as a Nuclear Historic Landmark by the American Nuclear Society . It served a military function from 1952 until the mid-1960s, when the mission changed from enriching uranium for nuclear weapons to producing fuel for commercial nuclear power plants . The Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant ended enriching operations in 2001 and began to support operational and administrative functions and perform external contract work. The site

3535-477: The census of 2010, 20,226 people, 8,286 households, and 4,707 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,885.0 inhabitants per square mile (727.8/km ). There were 9,339 housing units at an average density of 870.4 per square mile (336.1/km ). The city's racial makeup was 90.1% White , 5.1% African American , 0.4% Native American , 0.6% Asian , 0.7% from other races , and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of

3636-545: The 2017 and 2018 Annual Site Environmental Reports. On May 13, 2019, a report by Dr. Michael Ketterer of Northern Arizona University indicated the presence of enriched uranium and transuranic radionuclides within the school, resulting in the Scioto Valley Local School District Board choosing to close the school for the rest of the 2018–2019 school year. Area businesses, homes, ground and groundwater were also undergoing further testing at

3737-482: The AEC set up an organization designated "The Portsmouth Area" to direct construction and operation of the plant, select engineers and construction contractors, schedule delivery of critical materials and any other contingency. Uniform agreements were set up between labor and management to minimize the number of stoppages. Early planning and organization took place in improvised offices in city buildings in Portsmouth, including

3838-644: The Centrus centrifuge facility again, employing 60 people. The facility would house a cascade of 16 centrifuges for uranium enrichment, subject to EPA final approval. In June 2019, Centrus reversed course on their previous request for termination of the American Centrifuge Lead Cascade Facility NRC Material license SNM-7003, and by letter withdrew the termination request from NRC consideration; the NRC had not rendered

3939-484: The GCEP program. X-3001 is a single-story building with 87-foot-high ceilings and comprises four 630 x 104 feet bays, each of which is equipped with an overhead traveling crane. The prototype centrifuges, facility and equipment were used for development and testing; other than minimal chemical samples, no enriched UF6 was withdrawn from the cascade. In a closely following regulatory action, on August 23, 2004, USEC applied for

4040-732: The Miami University Art Museum and a book, Portsmouth: Architecture in an Ohio River Town. In October 2016, a Shawnee State University professor submitted a proposal to the State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant program to preserve Spartan Municipal Stadium . The stadium opened in 1930 as the original home of the Portsmouth Spartans , now the fifth-oldest active franchise in the National Football League (as

4141-491: The NRC issued the revised license to Centrus for approval to operate 16 centrifuges to demonstrate production of HALEU until May 31, 2022. During its nearly 60 years of operation, the cleaning, maintenance and change-out of process equipment at the site generated radionuclide contamination, spent solvents and other chemical contaminants that were disposed of in onsite landfills and surface storage buildings. To date, contamination has been found in various locations on site including

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4242-543: The National Guard Armory, the Elks City Club and the old farmhouses on the site itself. Nine architect engineer firms shared in the design of the plant, producing 12,000 design drawings, 40,000 construction drawings and 16,000 shop drawings. Advanced planning and scheduling were extremely important because the plant was designed to go into operation – or "on stream" – as soon as each unit or segment in

4343-740: The October 2014 loan repayment deadline), "regulators who find their spines" or by "repeal of the USEC Privatization Act by Congress". Workers at the plant were represented by the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union (OCAW). The plant was operated by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company from its startup until 1986, when the contract was taken over by Martin Marietta . In 1993, USEC took overall responsibility for

4444-527: The Paducah and Portsmouth enrichment plants, continuing the operating contract with Martin Marietta. In 1995, the operator became Lockheed Martin with the merger between it and Martin Marietta. In May 2001, the plant ceased gaseous diffusion enrichment operations and was placed in cold standby. In 2006, the site work shifted into cold shutdown transition in preparation for future decontamination and decommissioning (D&D). In 2011, after 10 years of maintaining

4545-584: The Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Each facility consists of four buildings – a conversion building, an administration building, a warehouse and a potassium hydroxide (KOH) regeneration building – as well as rail heads, five large acid storage tanks and lay-down areas for DUF6 steel cylinders. In 2002, DOE awarded Uranium Disposition Services, LLC (UDS)

4646-606: The Portsmouth plant in May 2001 after it consolidated operations at the Paducah plant in Kentucky. The following year, transfer and shipping operations were also consolidated in Paducah. Although USEC had nine years' time and had received the funding, it ceased the Portsmouth enrichment cascade in a dirty power-down, without purging the diffusion cells. Geoffrey Sea wrote in September 2013 that USEC's demise will be either by creditors (by

4747-446: The Portsmouth site before abandoning the project in June 1985 after spending $ 3 billion. The major buildings constructed for the GCEP were left in place after the project cancellation. USEC began working with the DOE in 2000 to resume gas centrifuge enrichment operation activities at the Portsmouth site, including use of previously constructed portions of the plant and the former GCEP facilities. USEC sited its Lead Cascade Test Program on

4848-478: The Portsmouth site in late 2002. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granted Materials License SNM-7003 this demonstration facility, known as the American Centrifuge Lead Cascade Facility, in 2004. The license permitted to facility to possess up to 250 kilograms of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) and consist of up to 240 operating, full-scale centrifuge machines arranged in a cascade configuration. Lead Cascade operations using prototype machines commenced in August 2007 at

4949-511: The Portsmouth, Ohio Site. This work includes the development of an early site permit template that will envelope a broad range of advanced reactor technologies, potentially supporting the DOE goal of demonstrating an advanced reactor by the late 2020s." The SODI team includes the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Southern Nuclear Development LLC , Orano Federal Services, Orano Decommissioning Services, and

5050-704: The Scioto River. Its growth was stimulated by the completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal in the 1820s and 1830s, which provided access to the Great Lakes, opening up northern markets. The construction of the Norfolk and Western (N&W) railyards beginning in 1838 and the completion of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) junction at the city in the late 1850s quickly surpassed the canal in stimulating growth. The railroads soon carried more freight than

5151-1016: The Scioto and Ohio rivers. It is within the ecoregion of the Western Allegheny Plateau . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 11.07 square miles (28.67 km ), of which 10.73 square miles (27.79 km ) is land and 0.34 square miles (0.88 km ) is water. Portsmouth has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) closely bordering a hot-summer humid continental climate ( Dfa .) Average monthly temperatures range from 32.1 °F (0.1 °C) in January to 76.1 °F (24.5 °C) in July. All months average above freezing, three months average above 22 °C or 71.6 °F and seven months average above 10 °C or 50 °F. As of

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5252-492: The air. Water came from well fields installed at the Scioto River, supplying 40 million gallons per day when operating at full capacity. To support operations, the AEC entered into a contract to become the largest single consumer/customer in the history of the electrical utility industry at that time. The plant set new records for single customer site usage with 18 billion kilowatt-hours annually, and demand peaking at more than 2,000 megawatts. The two largest private power plants in

5353-694: The antebellum years as part of the Underground Railroad . Fugitive slaves from Kentucky and other parts of the South crossed the Ohio River here. Some found their future in Portsmouth; others moved north along the Scioto River to reach Detroit , Michigan, and get farther away from slave catchers. Many continued into Canada to secure their freedom. A historical marker near the Grant Bridge commemorates this period of Portsmouth's history. James Ashley of Portsmouth continued his activism and pursued

5454-469: The area (that has long since closed) was owned by the Terrace Club, and was commonly referred to as the "Dreamland Pool" by community members. The Terrace Club's pool was still segregated despite the progress of the Civil Rights movement, which influenced Portsmouth's institutional makeup, as well as protests across the nation. During the 1960s, Portsmouth made institutional changes to attempt to include

5555-418: The area to haul in building materials and heavy equipment, including 22 miles (35 kilometers) of track on site. Twenty-five miles (40 kilometers) of roads were laid in the plant area, as well as a seven-mile (11-kilometer) perimeter road that encircles the plant. The original estimate for construction was four years at a cost of $ 1.2 billion. Construction was carried out by Peter Kiewit and Sons of Nebraska at

5656-583: The area's history from the ancient mound building Adena and Hopewell cultures to modern sporting events and notable natives. These subjects include: The original mural project was finished in 2003. Since then several additional panels have been added, including murals honoring Portsmouth's baseball heroes in 2006; and the Tour of the Scioto River Valley ( TOSRV ), a bicycle tour between Columbus and Portsmouth in 2007. The Indian Head Rock

5757-690: The black community. With the pool's construction delayed and the African American community having nowhere to swim in the area, despite the Civil Rights Act's passage, a protest called the wade-in occurred at Dreamland Pool on July 17, 1964. The next summer, in 1965, the Board of Directors of the Terrace Club pool unanimously removed its ban on African Americans and reopened under the name Dreamland Pool. The McKinley Pool, which opened in 1966, still remains and represents Portsmouth's reform and

5858-593: The canal, with the B&;O connecting the city to the Baltimore and Washington, DC markets. By the end of the 19th century, Portsmouth was one of the most important industrial cities on the Ohio River between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati . It became an iron and steel factory town with new companies like the Portsmouth Steel Company . The city's growth continued. By 1916, during World War I, Portsmouth

5959-636: The city as part of his reelection campaign. Vice-presidential candidate John Edwards also visited Portsmouth that month. During the 2008 campaign, numerous candidates and surrogates visited Portsmouth, and some spoke at Shawnee State University : Bill Clinton on behalf of Hillary Clinton , Republican nominee John McCain , and U.S. Senator Barack Obama , who won the election. In 2012, candidate Mitt Romney spoke at Shawnee State University. In March 2016, Bill Clinton visited Portsmouth again to campaign for Hillary Clinton. In August 2017, U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders spoke at

6060-404: The city has been subject to seasonal flooding. It had extensive flooding in 1884, 1913, and 1937. After the flood of 1937 , the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed a floodwall protecting the city, which prevented two major floods in 1964 and 1997. In 1992, Portsmouth began honoring some of the many accomplishments of its area natives by placing a star on the riverside of the floodwall. This

6161-476: The city under this pretext. Many settled several miles north in what became known as Huston's Hollow, along the Scioto River. Its residents, especially Joseph Love and Dan Lucas, provided aid to refugee slaves in the following years and assisted them in moving north. Although southern Ohio was dominated in number by anti-abolitionist settlers from the South, some whites also worked to improve conditions for blacks and aid refugee slaves. Portsmouth became important in

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6262-585: The community to be tested, such as above ceiling tiles. Air samples also were collected from both inside and outside the school. Samples from the areas cited by the report from Dr. Ketterer were taken and provided to local and state officials for their independent analysis, in addition to the sample swipes to be analyzed by the DOE. As reported by the DOE, "Results from sample analyses conducted by experts at Savannah River National Laboratory show no radioactivity detected above naturally occurring levels, and no cause for public health concern." This event has resulted in

6363-471: The completion of new buildings that replaced the landmarks. Landmarks that have been demolished include the old Norfolk & Western rail depot, churches dating back to the early 20th century, houses dating to the 1850s, Grant Middle School, and the old Portsmouth High School and various elementary schools. Many buildings survive from the early 19th century. Old churches are among the reminders of Portsmouth's past and identity. The historic 1910 Columbia Theater

6464-572: The construction of the three process buildings. An additional 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) of tubing ran through the rest of the plant and into the control rooms. Five hundred thousand cubic yards (380,000 cubic meters) of concrete were required to complete the project. To support this, a separate concrete batching plant was constructed on plant site to serve all contractors; it produced 200 cubic yards (150 cubic meters) of concrete per hour. In total, it took 70 million man hours for construction. Two railroad lines, financing their own work, built spurs into

6565-543: The contract, described as the HALEU Demonstration Program, ACO is to deploy 16 AC-100M centrifuges in a cascade to produce HALEU at 19.75% uranium-235 enrichment. This demonstration is of importance to U.S. national security; as of the early 2020s, the U.S. does not have operable U.S.-origin uranium enrichment technology. Centrus requested an amendment to the existing NRC Materials license SNM-2011 for their American Centrifuge Plant to be able to possess

6666-490: The enrichment facilities in a safe shutdown condition and providing general sitewide services, USEC returned the gaseous diffusion plant facilities to the U.S. Department of Energy for decontamination and decommissioning. Depleted uranium – uranium material with a reduced percentage of the fissile isotope U-235 following processing in the form of depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6) – remains on site for continuing processing. The DUF6 Conversion facilities are located at both

6767-462: The facilities located southwest of the gaseous diffusion process buildings. The Lead Cascade facilities included the X-3001 (PB1) Process Building, which housed the operating centrifuge machines, associated process piping, instrumentation and controls, computer systems and auxiliary support equipment. The X-3001 building – and the identical X-3002 building immediately east of it – was developed as part of

6868-597: The facility, including removal of the centrifuges and process piping. On August 9, 2018, facility licensee and Centrus subsidiary American Centrifuge Operating LLC (ACO) requested the termination of the American Centrifuge Lead Cascade Facility NRC Materials License SNM-7003. On January 7, 2019, U.S. Senator Rob Portman announced that the Trump administration had earmarked $ 115 million to open

6969-594: The firm in 1919. He led the firm from 1924 until his death in 1979. Peter Jr. turned the firm into one of the largest construction companies in the world. He was also very active in the Omaha area, including leadership of the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben . In 1931, Peter Kiewit incorporated the company as Peter Kiewit Sons’ Co. The firm began building transportation projects during the Great Depression . Walter Scott

7070-441: The first parcel of land at the site was transferred to SODI, and additional land is being studied for further transfers. Through an agreement with SODI, the DOE is able to transfer eligible property to SODI that can be reused, sold or recycled for the benefit of economic development in the four-county region surrounding the plant. The site benefits from having existing infrastructure (electrical switchyards, water supply, etc.), which

7171-475: The first person of European descent to permanently occupy land in what would later be known as Portsmouth, after the United States gained its independence. In 1803, Henry Massie found a better location slightly east and somewhat removed from the flood plains. He began to plot the new city by mapping the streets and distributing the land. Portsmouth was founded in 1803 and established as a city in 1815. It

7272-584: The first small-business contract by the DOE at the Portsmouth site. As part of the environmental remediation of the site, LPP removed 31 facilities, including an 18-acre switchyard complex that included 160 towers, 18 large transformers, 10 synchronous condensers, two switch houses, one two-story control room and numerous other structures. LPP's contract was extended as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) stimulus project, with their contract ending on March 29, 2011. In 2008,

7373-570: The lighter fissile isotope, uranium-235 (U-235), from the heavier non- fissile isotope, Uranium-238 . The plant initially produced highly enriched uranium for the U.S. nuclear weapons program, but in the mid-1960s, the plant converted to low-enriched uranium fuel production for commercial nuclear power plants, where it took material from the Paducah Plant that had been enriched to 2.75% U-235 and further enriched it to approximately 4–5% for use in commercial nuclear power plants. The plant had

7474-495: The loss of most of the industrial jobs on which Portsmouth's economy had been based; the jobs moved out of the area, with many going overseas. Further decline occurred in 1980 after the suspension of operations at Empire Detroit Steel's Portsmouth Works, which took place after the sale of the steel plant to Armco Steel . Armco Steel closed the plant because it did not want to replace the obsolete open hearth furnaces with more efficient basic oxygen steel furnaces. The plant also needed

7575-1039: The most people simultaneously potting plants. Later that year, Portsmouth beat Waukesha, Wisconsin , the previous world record holder, for the most people simultaneously Christmas caroling, which now stands at 1,822 carolers. They also beat the previous record for most people wrapping Christmas presents simultaneously. Portsmouth has 14 parks for residents and community use. These include Alexandria Park (Ohio and Scioto River confluence), Bannon Park (near Farley Square), Branch Rickey Park (on Williams Street near levee), Buckeye Park (near Branch Rickey Park), Cyndee Secrest Park (Sciotoville), Dr. Hartlage Park (Rose Street in Sciotoville), Labold Park (near Spartan Stadium), Larry Hisle Park (23rd Street & Thomas Ave.), Mound Park (17th & Hutchins Streets), York Park (riverfront), Spartan Stadium, Tracy Park (Chillicothe & Gay Streets), and Weghorst Park (Fourth & Jefferson Streets). Portsmouth's Spock Community Dog Park, named after

7676-732: The north bank of the Ohio River , across from Kentucky and just east of the mouth of the Scioto River . The population was 18,252 at the 2020 census . It is the principal city of the Portsmouth micropolitan area . The area was occupied by Native Americans as early as 100 BC, as indicated by the Portsmouth Earthworks , a ceremonial center built by the Ohio Hopewell culture between 100 and 500 AD. According to early 20th-century historian Charles Augustus Hanna,

7777-455: The paper in 1979. Starting in 1985 (Kiewit built MFS in the early 1990s; Level 3 was built in the 1997 to 1999 circa), Kiewit also constructed a nationwide fiber optic network. This network was later spun off as Level 3 Communications , which became the formal successor corporation to the original Peter Kiewit Sons'. They have a training facility called Kiewit University in its new Omaha, Nebraska campus that trains employees from throughout

7878-547: The planned HALEU material in April 2020. As of early 2021, publicly described plans are for licensing approval to be received and the improved AC-100M machines to be installed by the end of 2021. After the ACP license SNM-2011 is amended to possess the HALEU material, the licensee programs and NRC oversight conducted under the Lead Cascade license SNM-7003 will be transferred to ACP license SNM-2011 and SNM-7003 terminated. On June 11, 2021,

7979-516: The plant consumed a peak electrical demand of 2,100 megawatts. In August 1952, the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) selected Scioto Township, a rural area occupied by family-owned farms, as the site for a new gaseous diffusion plant to produce highly enriched uranium, Uranium-235 , for use in military reactors and nuclear weapons production. Located near the junction of the Scioto and Ohio rivers,

8080-418: The population. There were 8,286 households, of which 28.5% had children under 18 living with them, 33.9% were married couples living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.2% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size

8181-509: The prime D&D contractor as of the early 2020s. No nuclear reactors ever operated at the Portsmouth site. The site was evaluated for a potential nuclear power plant by a consortium that included Areva , Duke Energy , USEC and UniStar Nuclear Energy as part of the DOE Next Generation Nuclear Plant Project. That project concluded in the early 2010s without any action for the Portsmouth site. In

8282-414: The process buildings, the former cooling towers, landfills, wastewater ponds and other buildings. There are also groundwater plumes from the landfills. A total of 415 individual buildings, sites and features have been identified for cleanup. The Ohio EPA is monitoring cleanup operations, pursuant to a 1989 consent decree. On June 27, 2005, the DOE awarded a contract to LATA/Parallax Portsmouth LLC (LPP),

8383-521: The proposed plant was not ready for commercial production and therefore ineligible for the loan guarantees. The department said at the time that if USEC withdraws its application, it would receive $ 45 million over the next 18 months to conduct further research and development of the centrifuge technology, which the DOE viewed as promising. The 2009 decisions by DOE and USEC effectively ended the commercial scale American Centrifuge Plant project as envisioned in that timeframe. In March 2010, USEC began operating

8484-419: The riverfront by making the port a premier regional destination for industrial development, small business development, and riverfront recreation. In 2019, Portsmouth was named Hallmarks' Hometown Christmas Town. The Friends of Portsmouth group held the annual Winterfest celebration event that brought Christmas lights, vendors, ice skating, carriage rides, tree lighting, and more to Market Square. Portsmouth

8585-453: The site was chosen due to the economic availability of electric energy, availability of water for plant operation, adequate potential labor, suitable transportation facilities, geographic traits and relative flatness of the topography. The project was given expedited priority. Due to this prioritization, construction of the site had to start before all the architectural drawings for the site were completed. The Oak Ridge, Tennessee, operations of

8686-530: The struggle against the laws of the Jim Crow Era. Greenlawn Cemetery, established in 1829, is 40 acres in size and is Portsmouth's only public cemetery. It incorporates several smaller cemeteries, including City, Evergreen, Hebrew, Holy Redeemer, Hill North (Methodist), Hill South (Robinson), Old Mausoleum, Soldiers Circle, and St. Marys. The cemetery is at Offnere Street and Grant Street. The city maintains it. Kiewit Corporation Kiewit Corporation

8787-665: The time. A team of certified health physicists from the DOE’s National Laboratories and the National Nuclear Security Administration conducted an investigation at the school, accompanied by representatives of the Ohio Department of Health and interested members of the Piketon community. The team of radiation safety experts collected 44 surface samples over the 2019 Memorial Day weekend, including specific areas requested by

8888-532: The trade of brickmaking. John Kiewit established a brickyard in Omaha, Nebraska where his sons worked and learned the skills for their masonry business. Early projects included the seven-story Lincoln Hotel in Lincoln as stonemasons and the Bekins warehouse as general contractor. It is an employee-owned company. The original brothers dissolved their partnership in 1904 and the founding Peter Kiewit continued as

8989-803: The wealth from the commerce. As time passed, much of the commerce began to move toward Chillicothe Street, which has remained Portsmouth's main thoroughfare. The city population peaked at just over 42,000 in 1930. In 1931, the Norfolk Southern Corporation built a grand, art deco passenger station at 16th and Findlay streets that provided a substantial entry to the city. Passengers used the station for access to both interstate and intrastate train lines, which provided basic transportation for many. The widespread availability of affordable automobiles and changing patterns resulted in reduction in rail passenger traffic here and nationally. The station

9090-653: The world up to that time were built to supply the facility, one at Clifty Creek in Madison, Indiana , and another at Kyger Creek in Gallipolis, Ohio . They were also the most efficient coal-fired power plants in the world, producing one kilowatt-hour of electricity for every 0.7 pounds (0.32 kilograms) of coal. The power plants used 7.5 million short tons (6.8 million metric tons) of coal annually to support operations. United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC, now Centrus) ceased gaseous enrichment operations at

9191-546: Was 1,941.4 inhabitants per square mile (749.6/km ). There were 10,248 housing units at an average density of 951.5 per square mile (367.4/km ). The city's racial makeup was 91.50% White , 5.00% African American , 0.63% Native American , 0.61% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.32% from other races , and 1.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population. There were 9,120 households, of which 25.9% had children under 18 living with them, 37.9% were married couples living together, 15.6% had

9292-417: Was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age in the city was 36.1. 21.6% of residents were under 18; 14.3% were between 18 and 24; 23.6% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 16.4% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.4% male and 53.6% female. As of the census of 2000, 20,909 people, 9,120 households, and 5,216 families resided in the city. The population density

9393-720: Was 38. For every 100 females, there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 78.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 23,004, and the median income for a family was $ 31,237. Males had a median income of $ 31,521 versus $ 20,896 for females. The per capita income was $ 15,078. About 18.3% of families and 23.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 31.1% of those under 18 and 14.5% of those 65 or older. Portsmouth's major employers include Southern Ohio Medical Center , Kings Daughters Medical Center Ohio , Shawnee State University , Norfolk Southern Corp.(Railroad), Southern Ohio Correctional Facility and OSCO Industries. In November 2002,

9494-587: Was also a key figure in the growth of Kiewit. Scott was initially hired to work on the tower project at the Nebraska State Capitol and spent the remainder of his career at Kiewit becoming chief engineer. Rick Lanoha is the current chief executive officer of Kiewit Corporation. His predecessors include Peter Kiewit, Bob Wilson, Walter Scott Jr., Ken Stinson, and Bruce E. Grewcock. Prior to Grewcock's retirement, on January 1, 2020, Lanoha had served as president and chief operating officer since 2016 and

9595-519: Was constructed between 1952 and 1956, with the first enrichment cells going online in 1954. The former plant facilities are currently undergoing decontamination and decommissioning (D&D). Some site facilities are overseen by the United States Enrichment Corporation , a subsidiary of Centrus Energy . The D&D work on the older facilities to prepare the site for future use is expected to continue through 2024 and

9696-574: Was designated as the county seat. Settlers left Alexandria, and it soon disappeared. Massie named Portsmouth after the town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire . The Ohio state legislature passed " Black Laws " in 1804 that restricted movement of free blacks and required persons to carry papers, in an effort to dissuade blacks from settling in the state. These provisions were intermittently enforced by local governments and law enforcement, and sometimes used as an excuse to force African Americans out of settlements. In 1831, Portsmouth drove out African Americans from

9797-498: Was designed for a massive industrial facility, encouraging re-use by a wide variety of industries or other uses. On April 28, 2020, the DOE announced that a team led by SODI had been selected to receive $ 4,956,589 in cost-shared funding for a project titled Generic Design Support Activities for Advanced Reactors. Per the DOE announcement, the team is to "initiate characterization, permitting, and decontamination and decommissioning studies to support potential advanced reactor deployment at

9898-736: Was destroyed by a fire in 2007, demolished, and rebuilt in 2012 as the open-air Columbia Music Hall, with a refurbished façade from the original structure serving as the entry point. Other noted historic buildings include the old monastery, which can be seen for miles, and Spartan Stadium , as well as numerous buildings in the Boneyfiddle Historic District , which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . In 1982, Miami University students conducted research on several of Portsmouth's most important historic buildings. This work resulted in an exhibition at

9999-544: Was elected to Kiewit's board of directors in 2009. Walter Scott, Jr. was first elected to the Peter Kiewit Sons' Incorporated board in 1964. In 1979, he was elected president. When Peter Kiewit died later that same year, Scott was selected to succeed him as chairman. In 1963, Peter Kiewit bought the Omaha World-Herald to keep it locally owned. Under the terms of his will, the employees bought

10100-480: Was later used for offices and its keys were turned over to Scioto County in 2003, and the building was demolished in 2004. Suburbanization also affected the city. By the 1950 census, the population had begun to decline, falling below 40,000. Some of this change was due to the effects of highway construction, which stimulated suburban residential development in the postwar years. But during the late 20th century, foreign competition and industrial restructuring resulted in

10201-559: Was listed as being a major industrial and jobbing center, the nation's fourth-largest shoe manufacturing center, and the nation's largest manufacturer of fire and paving bricks. Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel (later called Empire-Detroit Steel) employed over 1,000 people. 100 other manufacturing companies produced goods from furniture to engines. Such industrial and shipping growth greatly benefited Boneyfiddle (a west-end neighborhood in Portsmouth), where grand buildings were constructed with

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