83 FR 45919 - Secretarial Determination of a National Security Purpose for the Sale or Transfer of Enriched Uranium

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
National Nuclear Security Administration

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 176 (September 11, 2018)

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.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 11, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45919-45920]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[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:
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

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[FR Doc. 2018-19686 Filed 9-10-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-C