The state of Kentucky licensed a private company, the Nuclear Engineering Company, to open and operate a low-level radioactive waste site in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. From 1963 to 1977, radioactive waste from hundreds of sites, including research labs, hospitals, and government sources, was transported here and disposed of in 46 unlined trenches, up to 680 feet long, 70 feet wide, and 30 feet deep. The site was soon found to be leaking radioactivity into the groundwater, and was permanently closed, with 4.5 million cubic feet of radioactive waste left on site. Remedial action has been extensive, and included the installation of a plastic geo-membrane over the site.
