[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 11, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45919-45920]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-19686]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
National Nuclear Security Administration
Secretarial Determination of a National Security Purpose for the
Sale or Transfer of Enriched Uranium
AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: On August 21, 2018, the Secretary of Energy issued a
determination (``Secretarial Determination'') covering the transfer of
low enriched uranium in support of the tritium production mission. The
Secretarial Determination establishes the national security purpose of
these transfers, therefore the transfers will be conducted under the
USEC Privatization Act of 1996.
DATES: The Secretary of Energy signed the determination on August 21,
2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Audrey Beldio, NNSA Domestic
Uranium Enrichment Program Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585, telephone (202) 586-1963,
or email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Currently, the United States does not
possess a fully domestic uranium enrichment capability. The U.S.
uranium enrichment market consists of foreign enrichment technologies
that cannot be used to meet national security requirements for enriched
uranium.
Acknowledging that it will take time to develop enrichment
technologies and allow for thorough analysis to inform an acquisition
decision for producing unobligated LEU, NNSA's Domestic Uranium
Enrichment strategy includes NNSA Defense Programs down-blending
approximately 20 metric tons of HEU to LEU for use as fuel in tritium
production reactors. The uranium will be transferred to the NNSA
federal partner, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) only for use as
fuel in a reactor producing tritium and not for resale or retransfer.
TVA will pay for the value of uranium to be received. Use of this
material is compliant with long-standing U.S. policy and international
commitments that require LEU used for defense purposes to be free of
peaceful use restrictions (``unobligated''). TVA is responsible for
preserving the unobligated LEU to be used as fuel in tritium production
reactors.
The Department's transfers of uranium are conducted in accordance
with its authority under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, and consistent
with other applicable law. These uranium transfers will be conducted
under Section 3112(e)(2) of the USEC Privatization Act of 1996, which
provides for transfers of enriched uranium to any person for national
security purposes, as determined by the Secretary.
Signed in Washington, DC, on September 5, 2018.
Philip T. Calbos,
Acting Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs, National Nuclear
Security Administration.
Appendix
Department of Energy
Set forth below is the full text of the Secretarial
Determination:
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[FR Doc. 2018-19686 Filed 9-10-18; 8:45 am]
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