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From January 2013 to December 2017, the Kentucky Geological Survey monitored earthquakes and conducted research on seismic hazards in the vicinity of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a former uranium enrichment facility, in western Kentucky. Fifteen earthquakes with magnitude greater than 3.0 occurred in the area during this period, and data were collected from the Central U.S. Seismic Observatory and the vertical seismic array at the gaseous diffusion plant. This monitoring improved our understanding of seismic-wave propagation through thick sediments and ground-motion site effects, as well as fault locations in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, ground-motion attenuation, and seismic-hazard assessment. Results have been communicated through publications and presentations at workshops and conferences. The data will contribute to the development of design ground motions for western Kentucky, and specifically for buildings and facilities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Introduction Engineering seismic design became a major concern for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a former uranium enrichment facility in western Kentucky, when the 1997 National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Provisions (Building Seismic Safety Council, 1998) were adopted in the early 2000s. The design 0.2 s response acceleration (PSA) in Paducah, Ky., was increased by about a factor of four, from 0.25 g in the 1994 edition of the provisions (Building Seismic Safety Council, 1995) to 1.083 g in the 1997 edition (Building Seismic Safety Council, 1998) (Table 1). This caused the U.S. Department of Energy to have difficulty obtaining a permit from federal and state regulators to construct a landfill at the plant in the early 2000s (James E. Beavers Consultants, 2010). The design values were developed from the ground motions with 2 percent probability of exceedance in 50 yr produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (Frankel and others, 1996, 2002; Petersen and others, 2008, 2014). Table 2 shows that the ground motions for Paducah estimated by the USGS are higher than the design values (Table 1). These ground-motion estimates and resulting high design values have been an issue for the plant, as well as for western Kentucky in general. In order to address the seismic-hazard assessment and engineering-design issues for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, as well as for western Kentucky in general, the Kentucky Geological Survey, in conjunction with the University of Kentucky Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, carried out comprehensive research with partial support from the U.S. Department of Energy through the Kentucky Research Consortium for Energy and Environment. Phase I of the research was from 2003 to 2007 and phase II was from 2009 to 2012. We installed and maintained a temporary 2 Seismic and Strong-Motion Network Operation and Data Analysis seismic network in the vicinity of the gaseous diffusion plant and analyzed the USGS probabilistic seismic-hazard maps and scenario ground-motion hazards. Phase I resulted in publications by Wang (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008), Wang and others (2003), Wang and Ormsbee (2005), Wang and Woolery (2006, 2008), and Woolery and others (2008). Phase II resulted in publications by Wang (2010, 2011), Wang and Lu (2011), Wang and Cobb (2012), Wang and others (2012), and Wang and Woolery (2013). The most significant outcomes from both phases are: 1. A better understanding of earthquake science and seismic-hazard assessment in western Kentucky and the central United States, resulting in a sound scientific basis for the development of design ground motions for buildings and facilities in the area. 2. Downward revision of the design ground motion to 0.33 g PGA for a landfill at the plant, which allowed the Department of Energy to obtain permits from federal and state regulators to construct the landfill. 3. Revision of the Kentucky Residential Codes for western Kentucky, including Paducah. 4. Establishment of the Central United States Seismic Observatory. This update summarizes the continuing research carried out by the Kentucky Geological Survey and UK Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences from January 2013 to December 2017. Seismic and StrongMotion Network Operation and Data Analysis The Kentucky Geological Survey continued operation of the Kentucky Seismic and Strong-Motion Network in the vicinity of the gaseous diffusion plant between January 2013 and December 2017. Figure 1 shows the current station and instrumentation configuration, which focuses on monitoring in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Seismometers for detecting seismic events are in operation at seven of the stations and at least one strong-motion sensor is in operation at 10 stations. Recordings from five of the stations are telemetered to KGS over the internet; the remaining stations are stand-alone, and are visited approximately bimonthly to download recordings. These stations, particularly the seismic stations, record earthquakes on local and global scales. The real-time recordings are shared Table 1. Design ground motions for Paducah, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. * The value was obtained from the effective peak acceleration (Aa) × 2.5. † The value (0.10) was the effective peak velocity-related acceleration (AV). NEHRP Recommended Provisions Edition Paducah San Francisco Los Angeles

An Update of Seismic Monitoring and Research in the Vicinity of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant: January 2013–December 2017