Paducah Transfers 765,000 Pounds of Recyclables, Fueling Economic Growth

Remaining scrap metal from the C-611-R High Pressure Fire Water Tower demolition debris is removed for transfer to the Paducah Area Community Reuse Organization.

PADUCAH, Ky. - The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management's Paducah Site recently transferred more than 765,000 pounds of equipment and recyclable metal to the Paducah Area Community Reuse Organization (PACRO) for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, marking a significant opportunity for regional economic growth. The estimate market value of this year's transfer is nearly $175,000.

PACRO, in turn, uses the transferred property or proceeds from its sale to attract new jobs to the community.

A significant portion of the recyclable material was 463,120 pounds of scrap metal from the demolition of the C-611-R High Pressure Fire Water Tower earlier this year. The structure had long been a prominent feature of the site's skyline, and its safe and successful demolition was a highlight for the Paducah Site.

"Paducah and its surrounding communities have supported the DOE mission for a long time," Portsmouth Paducah Project Office Manager Joel Bradburne said. "We will continue to find ways to support the community in turn through property transfers - like those in this and previous years - as reindustrialization of the site continues to be evaluated."

One of the support legs of the C-611-R High Pressure Fire Water Tower is loaded into an awaiting truck for transfer to the Paducah Area Community Reuse Organization. Crews with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management safely demolished the structure earlier this year.

In addition to the scrap metal, Paducah transferred heavy equipment, trailer chassis and other industrial equipment assets to PACRO for recycling and reuse, bringing value to local industry, supporting future economic development and promoting environmental sustainability. Property transfer at the Paducah Site also showcases DOE and PACRO's shared commitment to benefiting the regional economy while reshaping the landscape at the site.

"The strategic partnership we have with DOE continues to have a positive impact in our region," PACRO Executive Director Greg Wiles said. "This community appreciates the focus from DOE and its contractors to ensure PACRO continues to have a pipeline for economic development. The PACRO board is encouraged by the property transfers this fiscal year and looks forward to additional economic opportunities from the transfer of recyclable material and potential future land transfer at the DOE Paducah Site."

-Contributors: J.T. Crawford, Dylan Nichols