During the Manhattan Project era uranium refinement was a booming business. But as time went on uranium refinement became less needed as the atomic industry began to down-size as result of it¼s own fiscal gluttony. It was not until the 1980's when the Reagan administration increased production of the nuclear arsenal and advocated further use of nuclear energy that FMPC again began to flourish. By 1985 FMPC had become the nation's only primary uranium processing plant.

Every year, hundreds of tons of enriched uranium (in gaseous form) were converted to crystals, then was blended with magnesium granules. The mixture then was heated to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit in massive furnaces. The material ignited, deoxidizing the compound and changing the crystals to a pure metallic state. The molten uranium was then cast into 300- to 400- pound "derbies." Finally the derbies were tooled, polished, and worked into various sizes, rods, and tubes.

The increased need for refined uranium pushed FMPC back into full-time operation. The push catalyzed increased production and began to show the signs of a decaying facility. In December 1984, the Fernald plant announced that during the previous three months, over 375 pounds of uranium had escaped from the bag house filtration system into the atmosphere. Nearby wells were tested and found to have radiation levels 36 times higher than normal.

After a lengthy investigation conducted by the Department of Energy, it was discovered that the ventilation system at the plant was operating at sub-standard levels. Apparently the system collected much of the uranium dust created at the plant . The waste material was vented to the facilities bag house where 56 20-foot-tall bags filtered out the dust before releasing it into the air.

In September of 1984 the bag house underwent major servicing since many of the old bags were worn-out. The bags they ordered and used as replacements were too short. Not only that but they were wool, so when they were exposed to hot moist air from the furnaces they shrank! In addition, the rubber seals that held the bags into place were also the wrong size!

After two months of use the bags began to tear and dislodge, allowing radioactive emissions up the stacks. When the radiation alarm began to constantly go off in November, management of the plant already under the stress of keeping up with production demands quickly became annoyed. With the belief the monitor was malfunctioning, the management turned down the alarm's sensitivity so it would not go off as much. This would become one of many incidents that eventually led to the plants permanent shutdown.

The highly publicized incident lead to further DOE and EPA investigations. In 1988, Richard Shank, director of Ohio's environmental protection agency, estimated that the Fernald site released 298,000 lbs. (a figure the DOE later raised to 383,000 lbs.) of uranium wastes into the air since the plant started. In addition the plant is estimated to have discharged 167,00 lbs. of wastes into the Great Miami River over 37 years.

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