October 23, 2020
The Honorable Dan Brouillette
Secretary
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20460
Dear Secretary Brouillette:
I write regarding the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Ohio and radioactive material previously
discovered at the Zahn’s Corner Middle School, just miles from the facility. As you know, the Department of
Energy (DOE) has denied that the neptunium discovered at the school and other private residences in the
community is related to activities at the site. As such, an independent third-party collection and assessment is
currently ongoing. I remain concerned, however, that the Department continues to ignore the concerns
expressed by the community, the local school district, and others in the region about their health and safety. The
people of Pike County deserve to have these concerns addressed and remedied.
Beginning in the spring of 2019, the Scioto Valley Local School District closed the Zahn’s Corner Middle
School due to the discovery of transuranic elements at the school. It was later determined that the school would
remain closed during the 2019-2020 school year as additional testing was performed. Understandably, parents,
teachers, and students were worried about the long-term health impacts that could be associated with attendance
at the school. In previous conversations with DOE, DOE has maintained that despite the proximity of the site to
the school, it is highly unlikely the radioactive materials came from the site and has stated that sampling showed
only “background levels” of these elements and that “there [is] no public health or safety risk from radioactive
materials” at the school.1 Further, DOE has suggested that transuranics discovered in the community are legacy
contaminants from the Fukushima nuclear disaster that occurred in 2011. The presence of transuranics in the
county at all is concerning, but it is the casual disregard for the community that is an outrage and ultimately
undercuts DOE’s credibility.
Now, as our nation struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic and countless schoolchildren across the country are
forced into distance learning due to this Administration’s inept response to the pandemic, the challenges in Pike
County have become clearer. It is my understanding that sampling in the community was delayed due to the
pandemic and is only now beginning. As such, the future of the Zahn’s Corner Middle School remains uncertain
Jessica Wehrman, “Feds Say Tests Show No Signs of Radioactive Contamination in Piketon; Scientist Skeptical,” Columbus
Dispatch, July 25, 2019, https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190725/feds-say-tests-show-no-signs-of-radioactive-contamination-inpiketon-scientist-skeptical
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 nearly 18 months after it was closed. My staff and I have met with community members on this matter on
several occasions and it is clear that DOE has done little to earn their trust.
As such, it is imperative that DOE take meaningful steps to improve this relationship, including, but not limited
to: 1) improving community engagement and providing assistance to the local school district for as long as the
middle school building is closed to students, 2) working in good faith with the third party testing consultant,
and, 3) should the sampling confirm that the transuranic materials can be traced to the Portsmouth Site, pay for
the construction of a new school building.
I trust that the Department appreciates the urgency of this matter and commits to protecting the public health of
the citizens of Piketon and the surrounding area. I look forward to your prompt response to this matter.

Sincerely,

Sherrod Brown
US Senator