August 28, 2022 – It is easy to forget that scenic Cattaraugus County destinations such as Zoar Valley, Ashford Hollow and Ellicottville are also located within 25 miles of the only privately owned nuclear fuel reprocessing center to have ever operated in the U.S.
Nuclear Fuel Services ran its plant in the town of Ashford from 1963 to 1972. After the reprocessing operations, no longer profitable, ceased, the company’s lease expired in 1980. Ashford – and anywhere else the toxic material could travel – was left with 600,000 gallons of liquid high-level nuclear waste. Link to editorial
