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PIKETON, OHIO - The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) independent oversight team is beginning its comprehensive investigation of environment, safety and health activities at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Ohio. The investigation is one of several steps announced by Energy Secretary Bill Richardson in response to concerns raised about worker safety and environmental contamination at a similar facility in Paducah, Ky.

"I know that current and former workers at Portsmouth and their families have questions about past exposures and practices at the Portsmouth site and how these may have affected their health," said Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health. "This investigation will help us answer those questions."

The team will be in Portsmouth from Nov. 30th - Dec 2. This visit is the first of several the team will make to the Portsmouth plant over the next several months to obtain historical information on legacy hazards and protection of workers. The oversight team is comprised of Energy Department employees from the Office of Environment, Safety and Health.

"We are in Portsmouth today to begin a comprehensive and independent investigation to examine current and historical environment, safety and health practices at this site," said David Stadler, senior manager of the DOE investigative team. "The team managers are here today to begin the investigation with an initial visit that will give us the information we'll need to more clearly define what we'll be doing. They will establish points of contact for the onsite investigation, obtain documents to support planning, tour facilities and grounds to select areas for investigation focus, conduct initial interviews with key DOE and contractor managers and union and US Enrichment Corporation officials, and meet with various stakeholders to discuss the investigation and listen to their concerns and input."

An important part of the investigation will be learning from current and former workers about environment, safety and health issues associated with plant operations. Workers with specific operational knowledge of cascade, feed, chemical, metal plant and environmental waste operations between 1954 and 1993 are encouraged to participate in confidential interviews that the team will conduct.

Worker participation will allow DOE to obtain accurate descriptions of work experiences and safety practices at the plant beyond archival records. Those interested in sharing their experiences should call 1-800/556-5415 no later than December 20, 1999. Interviews will be conducted in mid-January 2000.

In addition to interviews and a review of current environment, safety and health practices, team members will return to begin taking soil, water and sediment samples from the plant site the week of January 10. A historical review of documents will continue in February. All activities will be coordinated closely with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Data resulting from the investigation will be assembled into a final report for Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson. The report is anticipated to be available in April 2000.

This investigation follows a similar effort at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, Ky., which reviewed environment, safety and health practices at the plant. A report which reviewed current environment, safety and health practices was released in October and is available for review at http://tis.eh.doe.gov/portal. The team will also be conducting a similar investigation at the gaseous diffusion facility in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

- DOE -

R-99-313