Wednesday, February 15, 6pm, Pike County Career Technology Center, 75 Beaver Creek Rd., Piketon, Ohio

The Ohio EPA will hold an in-person public meeting, with a virtual option, on Wednesday, February 15, to discuss the proposed cleanup plan for areas not yet addressed at the former U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and draft renewal for the facility’s hazardous waste operating permit.

The February 15 meeting will begin at 6pm at the Pike County Career Technology Center, 175 Beaver Creek Rd., Piketon, Ohio. Ohio EPA staff will give a brief presentation at the beginning of the meeting to discuss the proposed cleanup plan and draft renewal permit. The presentation will be followed by a hearing to allow the public to submit comments on each of the proposed actions. Citizens who want to participate in the online version of the meeting must register in advance. Online registration is available at this website: register.gotowebinar.com/register/709671412170057051. To request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, visit epa.ohio.gov/ada.

The proposed cleanup plan for the areas not yet addressed, also known as the Statement of Basis, can be located on Ohio EPA’s website, and the Portsmouth Environmental Information Center Online Repository. A fact sheet also is available online. Renewal of the facility’s hazardous waste permit also will be covered during the public meeting. If the permit is approved, it would allow the U.S. DOE and its contractor, Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth LLC, to continue to store hazardous waste generated during the environmental cleanup at the facility. Hazardous waste permits are valid for 10 years. A copy of the draft hazardous waste permit is available for review online (click on the “January 2023” tab) and in Ohio EPA’s electronic document depository. The document also is available at the U.S. DOE Environmental Information Center, Ohio State Endeavor Center, 1862 Shyville Rd., Rm. 207, Piketon, OH 45661. A fact sheet about this proposed action is available online.

The Ohio EPA will accept written comments on the proposed cleanup plan for the areas not yet addressed (Statement of Basis) and the draft hazardous waste permit renewal through March 17, 2023. All public comments will be taken into consideration before the Ohio EPA makes final decisions about the proposed actions. Written comments for the proposed cleanup plan and the draft permit renewal may be emailed to <publiccomment@epa.ohio.gov> or mailed to Ohio EPA, Division of Environmental Response and Revitalization, Attn: DOE Ports Coordinator, 50 W. Town St., P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, OH 43216-1049.

Contact: Patricia Marida, The Ohio Nuclear Free Network, <patmarida@outlook.com>.

Hosted by Ohio Nuclear Free Network.