A Washington Post wire service erroneously reported this afternoon that Energy Secretary Bill Richardson will shut down the government’s uranium plant in Paducah, KY, tomorrow. A U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) news release issued today says that, "The stand down will not directly affect operations of the U.S. Enrichment Corporation, which enriches uranium for use as fuel for nuclear power reactors and is regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission."

The DOE release further states, "All DOE-related operations, except emergency-related activities, will be suspended while DOE and contractor employees and managers review safety procedures."

USEC leases a portion of the DOE reservation for its uranium enrichment production processes. USEC’s operations are not related to other DOE work on the site.

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