Established in 1951, the Feed Material Production Center (Fernald site) converted uranium ore into high-grade uranium metals and products, including nuclear reactor fuel, in support of the US cold war weapons program.

In addition to 136 acres of production facilities, there are 37 acres of waste pits, some 40 feet deep, containing approximately 1 million tons of low-level radioactive waste that includes thorium and uranium.

Cleanup plans call for the removal of this material via 100 trainloads to a disposal site in Utah over the next five years.

Situated 18 miles northwest of Cincinatti Ohio, the site is now known as the Fernald Environmental Management Project, and since 1992 has been managed by Fluor Fernald (Fluor Corp) for the USDOE.

While some areas are being restored as cleanup proceeds, future land use and public access issues are still undetermined.