Environmental assessment for the purchase of Russian low enriched uranium derived from the dismantlement of nuclear weapons in the countries of the former Soviet Union

Technical Report · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10144278· OSTI ID:10144278

The United States is proposing to purchase from the Russian Federation low enriched uranium (LEU) derived from highly enriched uranium (HEU) resulting from the dismantlement of nuclear weapons in the countries of the former Soviet Union. The purchase would be accomplished through a proposed contract requiring the United States to purchase 15,250 metric tons (tonnes) of LEU (or 22,550 tonnes of UF{sub 6}) derived from blending 500 metric tones uranium (MTU) of HEU from nuclear warheads. The LEU would be in the form of uranium hexafluoride (UF{sub 6}) and would be converted from HEU in Russia. The United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) is the entity proposing to undertake the contract for purchase, sale, and delivery of the LEU from the Russian Federation. The US Department of Energy (DOE) is negotiating the procedure for gaining confidence that the LEU is derived from HEU that is derived from dismantled nuclear weapons (referred to as ``transparency),`` and would administer the transparency measures for the contract. There are six environments that could potentially be affected by the proposed action; marine (ocean); US ports of entry; truck or rail transportation corridors; the Portsmouth GDP; the electric power industry; and the nuclear fuel cycle industry. These environmental impacts are discussed.

• Research Organization: U.S. Enrichment Corp., Bethesda, MA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 10144278
• Report Number(s): DOE/EA-0837; ON: DE94010401; IN: USEC/EA--94001; NC: NONE; TRN: 94:008608
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: Jan 1994
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
SLIGHTLY ENRICHED URANIUM
PROCUREMENT
TRANSPORT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
US DOE
PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT
ELECTRIC POWER INDUSTRY
NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
053000
051000
050900
ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
ECONOMIC, INDUSTRIAL, AND BUSINESS ASPECTS
TRANSPORT, HANDLING, AND STORAGE