What's the deal about plutonium? HNN has repeatedly discussed its use in the processing portions of the Piketon plant in Ohio. For long periods, the presence of the man-made elements was denied. However, it was eventually revealed that the weapons grade fuel had been involved in uranium recycling projects, similar to those conducted at the Huntington Pilot Plant.
A video describes the uses of plutonium as well as its dangers. This link to,Plutonium Report Hidden in Jargon, comes from an August 1999 report in the Columbus Dispatch, which explains how the plutonium mystery enveloped the Paducah and Piketon facilities.
Recycling of materials from both plants led to the contamination of the Huntington , WV plant which was demolished and buried as classified atomic waste in 1979 under the eyes of watchful machine gun guards who saw the wreckage driven into a pit and covered. For plutonium story, click: http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/news/nn10126.htm .
Portsmouth/Piketon disposal of the uranium/nickel/plutonium contamination led to seepage of the chemicals into Beaver Creek. There are unconfirmed survivor reports of radioactive related cancers beyond those compensated in Huntington by the Department of Energy. One or more suggest, but do not confirm, the possibility of long exposures on the Ohio River during and after the removal of the contaminated plant could have been impacted. Those allegations have not been confirmed.A 1997 report on recycling for the commercial nuclear power industry revealed that Piketon contains 18 tons of the contaminated alloy Monel . The alloy, a patent of INCO, was also used at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant and for military dog tags in the two World Wars. The contamination report on Piketon can be found here: http://www.epa.gov/radiation/docs/source-management/tsd/scrap_tsd_041802...
