Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) is calling for more transparency and oversight from the Department of Energy on uranium transfers to the metal commodities firm Traxys that are used to fund Portsmouth cleanup work. Traxys recently appointed former Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Poneman to its Board, which Barrasso called “deeply troubling” in an April 23 letter to DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz. Since 2011 DOE has provided roughly $900 million to site contractor Fluor B&W Portsmouth to fund cleanup activities, and that material was then sold exclusively to Traxys, making it a top uranium supplier, according to Barrasso’s letter. “It is therefore deeply troubling that Traxys appointed to its Board Mr. Poneman who led DOE as it initiated the uranium transfers which have financially benefitted Traxys. For that reason, DOE must not turn a blind eye to the terms under which Traxys acquires this uranium,” the letter states.
DOE does not review the contracts between FBP and Traxys, DOE Office of Nuclear Energy Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary John Kotek said last week at a House Oversight subcommittee hearing. But Barrasso is calling for more transparency in the process. “DOE should condition all future transfers of uranium to Fluor-B&W on the requirement that Fluor-B&W publicly disclose its contract(s) with Traxys. Only by fully disclosing the contract(s) will DOE be able to show that it puts the interests of the American public ahead of all others,” the letter states. DOE and Traxys did not respond to request for comment yesterday.
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