Proposed uranium enrichment facility could bring 300 jobs to McCracken County

A proposed new uranium enrichment facility could bring nearly 300 jobs to McCracken County.

The development is a step closer to reality now that a land swap has been agreed to between the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and Global Laser Enrichment LLC. GLE will get 665 acres in the West Kentucky Wildlife Management Area near the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The company is already processing stored uranium used in the previous operation of PGDP. 

The new facility would convert stored uranium into nuclear fuel with advanced laser technology. It would more efficiently make that conversion while also speeding up the cleanup at PGDP.

To get the tract in McCracken County, GLE provided funds to the Paducah-McCracken County Industrial Development Authority to purchase 1,043 acres in Fulton County along the Mississippi River. In an agreement with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, the two pieces of land will be exchanged setting the next steps to approving the facility in motion. The Fulton County land will be dubbed the Choate Tract and added to the Obion Creek Wildlife Management area.

Rich Storm, commissioner of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife said, "This was a creative and carefully constructed exchange that will not only benefit Paducah and nearby communities, but it will also benefit many wildlife species and the outdoors enthusiasts who visit Western Kentucky. The additional acreage on Obion Creek WMA will provide much needed public hunting access, hiking, wildlife viewing and other wildlife related opportunities in an area where these are not readily available."

"We greatly appreciate the collaborative efforts of our community and state partners in Kentucky that have been instrumental in finalizing this land acquisition," said GLE CEO Stephen Long. "We are excited to continue our partnership with the commonwealth as we work towards a commercialization decision and maintaining our deployment target date of no later than 2030."

The overall project is awaiting Department of Energy funding along with approval of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

The Choate Tract in Fulton County is expected to open for use in the spring of 2025, while the McCracken County land in the West Kentucky Wildlife Management Area will remain open through February.