United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2008-04-03 monographic deposited born digital 25 p. GA 1.13:GAO-08-613T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-613T P0b002ee180383342 f:d08613t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-613T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-613T GAO-08-613T Agency missions Cost analysis Environmental protection Hazardous substances Hazardous waste disposal Hazardous waste sites Hazardous wastes Health hazards Nuclear energy Nuclear facilities Nuclear materials Nuclear powerplants Nuclear radiation monitoring Nuclear waste disposal Nuclear waste management Nuclear waste storage Nuclear weapons Radiation exposure hazards Radioactive materials Radioactive pollution Radioactive waste disposal Radioactive wastes Uranium Water pollution control Testimony A81550

Since the 1940s, the Department of Energy (DOE) has been processing natural uranium into enriched uranium, which has a higher concentration of the isotope uranium-235 that can be used in nuclear weapons or reactors. This has resulted in over 700,000 metric tons of leftover depleted uranium, also known as "tails," that have varying residual concentrations uranium-235. The tails are stored at DOE's uranium enrichment plants in Portsmouth, Ohio and Paducah, Kentucky. Although the tails have historically been considered a waste product and an environmental liability, recently an about tenfold increase in uranium prices may give DOE options to use some of the tails in ways that could provide revenue to the government. GAO's testimony is based on its March 31, 2008, report entitled Nuclear Material: DOE Has Several Potential Options for Dealing with Depleted Uranium Tails, Each of Which Could Benefit the Government (GAO-08-606R). The testimony focuses on (1) DOE's potential options for its tails and (2) the potential value of DOE's tails and factors that affect the value. It also contains an analysis of DOE's legal authority to carry out the potential options. In its report, GAO recommended that Congress consider clarifying DOE's statutory authority to manage depleted uranium. GAO also recommended that DOE complete a comprehensive uranium management assessment as soon as possible. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-613T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-613T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-613T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-613T.pdf GAO-08-613T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-613T Testimony GAO-08-613T; Nuclear Material: Several Potential Options for Dealing with DOE's Depleted Uranium Tails Could Benefit the Government; Agency missions Cost analysis Environmental protection Hazardous substances Hazardous waste disposal Hazardous waste sites Hazardous wastes Health hazards Nuclear energy Nuclear facilities Nuclear materials Nuclear powerplants Nuclear radiation monitoring Nuclear waste disposal Nuclear waste management Nuclear waste storage Nuclear weapons Radiation exposure hazards Radioactive materials Radioactive pollution Radioactive waste disposal Radioactive wastes Uranium Water pollution control Title 31 Section 3302 31 U.S.C. 3302 Volume 110 Page 1321 110 Stat. 1321 Volume 119 Page 2247 119 Stat. 2247 Public Law 104-134 Public Law 109-103