Chamber Now - News & Opportunities Weekly

Chamber NOW October 28, 2022

Pike Chamber News & Opportunities Weekly

In the News

EM Restarts DUF6 Conversion at

Improved Portsmouth, Paducah Facilities

An aerial view of the Portsmouth Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Conversion plant in Ohio. A nearly identical facility exists at EM’s Paducah Site in Kentucky. Both plants have restarted production with improved facilities following a pandemic safety pause.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Both of EM’s conversion plants that recycle depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6) to safer and more beneficial products are back in business with improved safety and sustainability measures following a COVID-19 operational pause.

“Conversion of DUF6 is now back online, with improved safety, performance and facilities thanks to deliberate conduct of operations and maintenance during the safety pause,” said Joel Bradburne, manager of EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO), which oversees the project.

The Paducah facility in western Kentucky was the first to restart, in November 2021. EM’s conversion contractor then used the same gradual and rigorous process as Paducah to ensure a return to safe and deliberate operations at its Portsmouth Site in Ohio during the past several months.

Under pandemic protocols, EM took the opportunity to install and implement new equipment and processes to ensure improved safe production going forward. Significant among the improvements is a new “bulk hydrogen” backup system that ensures continuous, uninterrupted delivery of hydrogen to the conversion process in case of hydrogen-generation outages. The new system stores and delivers excess hydrogen produced from onsite generating units, and supports receipt of hydrogen delivered by truck. It was designed in collaboration with PPPO prime contractor Mid-America Conversion Services and subcontractor Air Products.

EM’s new bulk hydrogen system at the Paducah Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Conversion plant in Kentucky.

“This important infrastructure project has improved the stability of the conversion process and helped avoid operational upsets, reducing the need for intervention by plant personnel,” said Zak Lafontaine, PPPO’s DUF6 program manager. “The bulk hydrogen upgrade has been instrumental in improving the versatility and reliability of operations at both plants. In less than a year, we can already directly attribute more than 50 days of additional conversion operations to this key plant improvement.”

Commissioned in 2010 and 2011, EM’s conversion facilities were specially designed and constructed to convert DUF6 at the former gaseous diffusion plants that enriched uranium for national security and commercial energy uses since the early 1950s. The result of conversion is a more stable uranium oxide along with aqueous hydrogen fluoride for disposition, storage and reuse. Approximately 740,000 metric tons of DUF6 remain to be converted over the next several decades.

-Contributors: Kearney Ackermann, Donnie Locke, Brad Mitzelfelt

Ohio Valley Bank will once again issue a Community First Holiday Gift Guide to highlight gift ideas from local businesses.

We would love for you to participate. OVB does this as a service project for the businesses of its community, so it is completely free to you. #CommunityFirst

To be included, just select a product sold in your business that you would like to promote as a holiday gift idea. Send us a photo of the product and a short description of no more than 25 words. You can submit more than one product but multiples will be subject to space available. Photos including more than one type of product are discouraged. Family friendly products only. OVB reserves the right to refuse any submission.

Hurry! The deadline for submissions is October 31, 2022. Submissions can be submitted online at www.ovbc.com/community-first-holiday-gift-guide or dropped off at any Ohio Valley Bank location with instructions to forward to Corporate Communications. Make sure any images are of high resolution for printing.

The Bank plans to have the Holiday Gift Guide available to the public the week of Black Friday. Guides will be available in both print and electronic formats.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Bryna Butler at the bsbutler@ovbc.com or call 740-578-3400. Hope to hear from you soon!

THE VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA) PROGRAM

IS SEEKING VOLUNTEERS FOR THE 2022 TAX SEASON

The Workforce & Business Development Program (W&B) at Community Action Committee of Pike County (CAC) is seeking local volunteers for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Free Tax Preparation Program for the 2022 tax season. In-depth training on preparing tax returns will be provided to all volunteers to ensure confidence and accuracy prior to the start of the 2022 tax season. Upon completion of the training, volunteers will be able to use TaxSlayer computer software to file tax returns. All prepared returns are reviewed with the taxpayer prior to submission to the IRS.

“The VITA service provides opportunities and empowerment for our local area. Residents can have their simple Income tax returns prepared at no-cost by well-trained volunteers who are helping make a major difference for residents,” said Lisa Pfeifer, Director of the Workforce & Business Development Program. “We are grateful to the volunteers who commit their time, effort, and energy into making a difference in the lives of those who need it. Because of our amazing volunteers, we are able to provide this service not only to Pike County but to our neighboring counties as well.”

Additional information about the VITA program can be found on our website: www.workforcebusinessdevelopment.org. If you would like to sign up to be a 2022 VITA Volunteer, please contact Erica Jones at (740) 289 – 2371 ext. 7038 or ejones@pikecac.org.

Under the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997, all VITA volunteers are protected from liability for negligent acts they perform within the scope of their volunteer responsibilities (full details can be found within IRS Publication 4961).

Opportunities

Open Enrollment for Medicare

Now - December 7

AAA7 Available for Assistance and Help

“Unwrap Your Gifts”

Email Wellness Challenge

Are you interested in improving your wellness by exploring: gratitude, traditional foods with a twist, sustainability, self-care, and more – all wrapped up with new gift ideas? Join Ohio State University Extension for the “Unwrap Your Gifts” 6-week email wellness challenge to learn more about these and other wellness topics....

Adena Health Foundation Gala

“This year’s Adena Pike Medical Center annual gala, “Honoring our Hometown Heroes,” pays tribute to those who put their heroic qualities on display in their work, volunteerism and in raising their families to make the community a better place. The event to benefit Adena Health Foundation’s Pike Fund will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. November 10 at Twin Lakes Resort in Piketon and features dinner, live and silent auctions and the chance to just relax and have fun. For more information, tickets or sponsorships, visit Adena Health Foundation Events.”