Marshall Co. Students Working on Report with DOE

A group of local high school students is helping the Department of Energy’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office provide important information to the public while learning valuable skills and furthering their education and knowledge of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.

Paducah Site Lead Jennifer Woodard recently discussed plant history with the Marshall County High School students during a site visit to help prepare them for their work on the summary of the Annual Site Environmental Report.

The goal is to educate local students about the operations and cleanup activities at the Paducah plant and communicate their new knowledge to the public. The ASER report details site environmental conditions and remediation efforts. The students’ project engages them in summarizing that report into a document intended for a public audience.

Marshall County students and staff were given a DOE-guided question-and-answer tour of the plant. Afterward, the group assembled at the West Kentucky Wildlife Management Area lodge to participate in a local habitat presentation by Dr. Steven Price, a Wildlife Biologist with the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Department of Forestry. The group then toured the wildlife area as Jodie Swain, WKWMA foreman, and Price explained ecological considerations, demonstrated the use of water quality measurement devices the students will be using in the classroom, and discussed environmental implications of water quality parameters.

The final High School ASER Summary should be distributed to the public in fall 2015. Marshall County students also participated in the program last school year.