Joseph Lischinsky
Behind the fences stood one of the most ambitious industrial enterprises in American history.For nearly seventy years, the gaseous diffusion plants at Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Paducah, Kentucky; and Portsmouth, Ohio enriched the uranium that fueled America’s nuclear arsenal, powered naval reactors, and helped shape the outcome of the Cold War. Hidden behind layers of secrecy, these massive facilities operated around the clock, employing tens of thousands of workers who became the backbone of a mission few fully understood.But the story of the gaseous diffusion plants is about far more than technology and national defense.Drawing upon historical records, government investigations, environmental studies, and the experiences of workers and their families, PADUCAH: The Gaseous Diffusion Legacy examines the extraordinary achievements of the enrichment program alongside the human and environmental costs that emerged over decades of operation.From the birth of the atomic age to the cleanup efforts that continue today, this book explores the realities of life inside the cascade buildings, the culture of secrecy that shaped the workforce, the health and environmental questions that followed, and the enduring legacy left in the communities that grew around the plants.
