DOE to Develop New Uranium Transfer Secretarial Determination

The Department of Energy is planning to develop a new secretarial determination regarding its uranium transfers to cover cleanup work at Portsmouth and the downblending of highly-enriched uranium, releasing last week a request for information from the public about potential impacts on the uranium markets. The move comes as uranium conversion company ConverDyn has filed a legal challenge asking ConverDyn the Court to vacate the May 2014 DOE Secretarial determination that increased the amount of uranium DOE sought to transfer. The recent determination boosted the uranium transfers to up to 15 percent of the domestic nuclear fuel market from a previously self-imposed cap of 10 percent. The request for information solicits public comment on what market effects and industry consequences DOE could expect from continuing the transfers at the rates approved in the most recent determination, and whether lower rates of transfers would significantly change those impacts.