The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant opened in 1952 to enrich uranium for defense purposes. During the 1960s the plant shifted from its defense focus to enriching uranium for nuclear power plants. The plant is currently the only facility in the U.S. that enriches uranium for use in nuclear power plants.
On August 8, 1999, The Washington Post ran the first in a series of articles detailing how workers at the Paducah plant had been exposed to materials that the facility was never designed to handle, as well as dangerous working conditions and other hazards faced by employees. In response to this, Senator McConnell held hearings and helped create an early detection cancer screening program that has benefitted both current and former workers. Senator McConnell’s efforts to ensure that injured employees were fairly compensated culminated in passage of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) which contained special protections for workers at Paducah and two other gaseous diffusion plants.
The work performed in Paducah has been essential for our national security during the Cold War and today for providing the energy we need. The men and women who have served our nation there deserve our gratitude.