BILL: Should We Ban Russian Uranium? - Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act - H.R.1042
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The Bill
H.R.1042 - Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act
Bill Details
- Sponsored by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) on Feb. 14, 2023
- Committee: House - Energy and Commerce
- House: Not yet voted
- Senate: Not yet voted
- President: Not yet signed
Bill Overview
- Limits the importation of uranium from Russia, specifically unirradiated low-enriched uranium, which has never been in a reactor. The ban would go into effect within 90 days of enactment.
- Establishes annual caps on the amount of low-enriched uranium that may be imported from Russia through 2027.
- Limits funding for the Department of Energy's (DOE) American Assured Fuel Supply program.
- The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted to send the bill to the House floor on May 24, 2023.
What's in the Bill
Addresses U.S. dependence on Russian uranium
- The U.S. imported roughly 14% of its uranium from Russia in 2021, compared to 35% from Kazakhstan and 15% from Canada, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. About 5% of uranium was produced domestically.
Allows for the cap to be waived
- The DOE may waive this ban if it determines that no alternative source of low-enriched uranium is available to sustain the continued operation of a U.S. nuclear reactor or nuclear energy company, or if importation of the uranium is in the national interest.
- Even with the waivers in place, the bill caps the amount of Russian uranium imported per year at 578,877 kg in 2023, 476,536 kg in 2024, 470,376 kg in 2025, 464,183 kg in 2026, and 459,083 kg in 2027.
What Supporters Are Saying
"The war in Ukraine has made it abundantly clear we cannot be at the whims of Russia for our fuel supply. It should be a bipartisan, national security objective to wean the United States industry off Russian uranium imports."
"Nuclear is a key part of our energy mix and right now America is dangerously reliant upon Russia's supply of nuclear fuels for our existing nuclear power plant fleet. My legislation—the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act—bans fuel imports from Russia and sends a strong signal to the market that will help restore American nuclear leadership and fuel infrastructure."
What Opponents Are Saying
- In 2022, EU countries imported 22% more Russian uranium products than in 2021 — nuclear fuel, compounds, and parts for reactors — worth $771 million.
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Safety & Security
Uranium and other radioactive materials are extremely dangerous to biological systems. Their half-lifes are immensely long.
I favor total ecomomic isolation of Russia. I do not think it would be very effective but...
The bill was passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee by the chair, Rep Cathy McMorris, who is the sponsor, to the floor of the House in May with 5 co-sponsors, all Republicans at the same time the Senate Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted to advance the Nuclear Fuel Security Act (S. 452) to the Senate floor to increase domestic production.
Highly suspect the House dysfunction over leadership and budgets used up floor time to take action on this one as it has a 27% chance if being enacted when the 2022 average was 21% so has a better than average likelihood.
One of my concerns is what happens to Russian uranium just like Russian oil which as if Kate goes to intermediary countries and then ends up in the US?
The US currently gets most of its uranium (35%) from Kazakhstan via Kazakhstan’s atomic company, Kazatomprom which transports uranium through Caspian Sea which Russia controls. In addition Uzbekistan is partnering with Russia’s Rosatom to manufacture a joint nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. Both these situations make it difficult to insure there is no commingling if Russian uranium and/or funds.
After going through all this legislative effort given the current dysfunctional House, are we really banning Russian uranium? How effective has the Russian oil ban been?
https://thediplomat.com/2023/07/could-kazakhstans-uranium-exports-to-the-us-increase/
https://www.ans.org/news/article-5054/house-committee-approves-bill-to-ban-russian-uranium-imports/
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/118/hr1042