Examining the Dept. of Energy’s Excess Uranium Management Plan

WASHINGTON –On Wednesday, April 22^nd, the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on the Interior will hold a hearing titled, “Examining the Department of Energy’s Excess Uranium Management Plan.” This hearing will examine the Department of Energy’s administration of the Excess Uranium Inventory Management Plan.

HEARING BACKGROUND:

• The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) controls an inventory of excess uranium decommissioned from military use.  The stockpile of decommissioned uranium represents a significant taxpayer asset.  In order to process the inventory, DOE issued the Excess Uranium Inventory Management Plan (Management Plan) in 2008, which was updated in 2013.  The Management Plan outlined DOE’s strategy to introduce the excess uranium inventory into the commercial uranium market.  Most recently, DOE has bartered the excess uranium in exchange for the cleanup of retired uranium enrichment plants.

• The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted a study of the Management Plan and DOE’s uranium transfers undertaken pursuant to the plan and identified a number of legal issues with these transfers. Specifically, GAO found that DOE lacked the authority to conduct the uranium transfers under the USEC Privatization Act. GAO also found that DOE did not properly value the uranium that was being transferred, nor did DOE adequately assess the impact of the transfers on the commercial uranium market.