The Government Accountability Office earlier this month launched its investigation into the Department of Energy’s support for USEC in response to a request last June by Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Michael Burgess (R-Texas). The GAO is still in the planning phase of the effort and is determining the scope and schedule moving forward, but has had initial meetings with DOE and USEC officials. The Department is currently supporting USEC’s American Centrifuge enrichment technology through a research, development and deployment cost-share program launched last June, using as a justification the need for a domestic source of low enriched uranium for tritium production.
The same week the cost-share program began, Markey and Burgess sent a detailed letter to the GAO questioning numerous aspects of the Department’s effort and requesting an investigation. “The Department of Energy’s assertion that continuing to bail out USEC is the only way the U.S. can get the tritium needed for America’s nuclear weapons program appears to be untrue,” states a release at the time from Markey’s office. It also raised concern regarding a DOE-brokered uranium tails reenrichment program at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant operated by USEC. “The Department’s recent uranium transfer announcement may violate the USEC Privatization Act and may additionally not include adequate safeguards,” the release states.
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