F1. Gaseous Diffusion. At the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Enrichment Plant, uranium gas is pumped through miles of pipe that filter the smaller, lighter uranium-235 atoms from uranium-238. U-235 sustains the nuclear chain reaction in reactors and in bombs. The three "process buildings" are among the largest industrial structures in the world; each is half a mile long; they operate around the clock and can together consume in a day as much electricity as the city of Memphis, Tennessee. Piketon, Ohio. 27 July 1983.
These photographs by Robert Del Tredici are protected by copyright and are available for purchase as high-quality digital prints on archival paper or as silver gelatin prints from bdeltredici@hotmail.com.