Jim Barker-Paducah Plant Manager

James “Jim” Barker is the Paducah DUF6 Conversion Facility Plant Manager and has responsibility for all plant activities and operations. Jim brings with him over 35 years of combined experience in nuclear and non-nuclear facility operations, maintenance, closure, and decommissioning in both the United States and United Kingdom.

Jim began his career as an operator at Idaho National Lab in fuel reprocessing and HLW tank farms. His proven leadership skills in ISMS eventually landed him a shift manager position in chemical operations at INL. Jim soon became the Operations Manager which led to the effective startup and operation of the GEM Project, which became the first successful attempt to safely retrieve and package buried Rocky Flats transuranic waste from the infamous Pit 9 Landfill at the Idaho Site. Mr. Barker spent 31 years at the Idaho National Laboratory as the Nuclear Facility Manager and eventually became the Director of Decontamination and Decommissioning, where his team demolished 265 buildings, which included, five reactors, a reprocessing plant, hot cells, and various nuclear laboratories.

Recently, Jim served as the Vice President and Project Director of Tank Closure and Regulatory; F and H Tank Farms at the Savannah River Remediation Site. There, Mr. Barker was responsible for the site’s projects, strategies, regulatory interfaces, and programs subject for the closure of high-level waste tanks.

Jim’s past experience, leadership, and expertise will be vital in the success of the DUF6 Project and the Paducah Plant.