Paducah GDP – Kentucky

Learn about compensation and benefits for sick workers.

The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant sits 3 miles south of the Ohio River and 12 miles West of Paducah, Kentucky. It was opened by the government in 1952 to enrich uranium for later use in nuclear weapons. The site produced low-enriched uranium to be sent to the K-25 Reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee for further enrichment.

Mission Change

In the 1960s, the Paducah Plant’s mission shifted from defense to energy production. The site began enriching Uranium for use in the nuclear power industry. Today, the plant is operated by United States Enrichment Corp. and stands as the only operating uranium enrichment facility in the United States. The Paducah site will be decommissioned in the coming years due to obsolete technology and contamination issues.

Compensation for Sick Workers

Sick Paducah Plant workers are eligible to file EEOICPA claims as part of the Special Exposure Cohort (SEC). SEC is a designation given to specific work sites or groups of workers that allow them to be compensated for their illness without having to prove a link between their work exposure and diagnosis. Those who qualify for SEC have a much better chance of a fast and successful claim.

To qualify for SEC one must have:

• Worked at the gaseous diffusion plant in Paducah, Kentucky for a total of at least 250 days before February 1, 1992, and were monitored for radiation exposure with dosimetry badges or had jobs with similar exposures to those monitored.
• Been diagnosed with one of 22 specified forms of cancer

**Even if you do not meet these requirements or worked elsewhere on the Oak Ridge Site you still may be eligible for compensation. Please contact your local Resource Center to learn more about eligibility.

More Information and Useful Links

• Paducah Resource Center
  Barkley Center, Unit 125
  125 Memorial Drive
  Paducah, KY 42001
  Telephone: (270) 534-0599
• Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Wikipedia Page
• EPA’s Profile of the Paducah Plant and Clean Up Effort
• Paducah Clean Up Support Project
• Paducah Plant Payout Statistics

By Brian Carrigan