nuclear-news

New concerns, questions over soil transfer at DOE Paducah Site

Todd Faulkner, Mason Watkins, Mackenzie Lionberger, Oct 16, 2026, https://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/new-concerns-questions-over-soil-transfer-at-doe-paducah-site/article_071efe65-415d-4887-b247-2eb06df92de5.html

PADUCAH — There are new questions and concerns involving soil from a parcel of land at the Department of Energy Paducah Site.

WPSD-TV originally reported that soil was being removed from the DOE Paducah Site by General Matter and placed on other properties in McCracken County.

Prior to Sept. 9, WPSD viewers reached out to the station concerned about the soil transfer and wondered if the soil was contaminated.

McCracken County Judge Executive Craig Clymer later received a document from a division of the DOE that said an analysis of the soil was shared with the Environmental Protection Agency which confirmed that the soil is “protective of human health and the environment” and “the soil meets risk standards.”

After that report, a source reached out to WPSD questioning the factual content of that analysis and the statement sent to the judge executive’s office — and whether the soil, in fact, did meet residential and recreational risk standards.

The source provided and cited a number of pieces of information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. What was provided were dozens of documents and email exchanges that the source claims made clear that the Parcel A soil evaluated by EPA Region 4 was only for “on site industrial conditions” — not off site, or what’s considered “unrestricted-use clearance.”

In an email correspondence between WPSD’s source and an EPA employee, the employee writes: “The EPA did not anticipate that soil located on DOE Paducah Parcel A property (being leased to General Matter) would be transported off DOE property to a residential property. The EPA was informed in June by the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection (KDEP) that soil from the General Matter lease site was observed being transported to a nearby private property on the east side of Hobbs Road.”

Later, that same employee writes: “Although Parcel A is restricted to industrial use only, cancer and noncancer effects are unlikely for a future resident under unrestricted use/unlimited exposure to Leasing Parcel A soil.”

In a letter to Judge Executive Craig Clymer, as previously reported, the DOE wrote: “This supplemental risk evaluation found that chemicals and radioactive constituents in the soil at Leasing Parcel A are not expected to create unacceptable health risks for resident or recreator scenarios.”

Reporters took the information provided and contacted the EPA for comment.

A public and government affairs manager responded by email: “To confirm, the DOE evaluated soil data from the area now being leased by General Matter. DOE concluded that the soil does not pose an unacceptable risk to human health. The EPA reviewed DOE’s evaluation and conclusion. Based on the data available, there is no unacceptable cancer risk or noncancer health effects posed to hypothetical future residents, recreators, or industrial workers from the soil removed from the leased parcel.”

When asked for comment on this latest concern regarding General Matter removing soil from the site, WPSD received the following statement: “Last month, we finished up our initial soil and grading activity on schedule. We appreciate the EPA’s thorough review and look forward to welcoming our neighbors at next week’s Community Open House.”

Other entities involved in the situation include more than DOE and General Matter. Those include the EPA, the Kentucky Division of Waste Management and other agencies.

General Matter’s public open house is set for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct 21, at McCracken County High School.

October 20, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, USA