PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Federal regulators may only allow the export of highly enriched uranium (HEU) for use as fuel or targets in research or test reactors if three conditions are met. First, there must be no lower-enriched reactor fuel or target (less U-235) that can be used instead. Second, the foreign recipient must promise to switch to the lower-enriched option as soon as it can. Third, the U.S. government must be actively working to develop such an alternative fuel or target. There is a special set of rules for HEU sent abroad to make medical isotopes. The Commission can license exports to Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands for that purpose if the recipient country assures the U.S. that the uranium will only be used to make medical isotopes and if the HEU will be irradiated only in reactors that already use lower-enriched fuel or have an agreement to convert when possible. The Commission must check transport, storage, and cleanup protections and can add safety rules, including limits on how much HEU can be in one shipment. The Secretary must arrange a National Academy of Sciences study about whether medical isotopes can be supplied without HEU and report to Congress within 5 years after August 8, 2005. Low-enriched uranium (LEU) use is considered feasible only if LEU targets have been developed and shown to work, enough LEU-based isotopes can meet U.S. needs, and the average total cost rise would be less than 10 percent. Once commercial non-HEU supplies can meet U.S. needs within that cost limit, the Secretary must certify that to Congress and the Commission will stop its special reviews. Starting 7 years after January 2, 2013, the Commission may not issue new HEU export licenses for medical isotope production, though that ban can be extended up to 6 years or temporarily suspended for up to 12 months under narrow certification and congressional approval rules. Definitions in one line each: alternative nuclear reactor fuel or target = fuel/target with less than 20% U-235; highly enriched uranium = uranium with 20% or more U-235; "can be used" = approved by the DOE program and workable without a big rise in reactor operating costs; medical isotope = materials like molybdenum-99, iodine-131, xenon-133, and similar radioactive products for diagnosis, treatment, or research.

Title 42, §2160d

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

Except as provided in subsection (b), the Commission may issue a license for the export of highly enriched uranium to be used as a fuel or target in a nuclear research or test reactor only if, in addition to any other requirement of this chapter, the Commission determines that—

(1)there is no alternative nuclear reactor fuel or target enriched in the isotope 235 to a lesser percent than the proposed export, that can be used in that reactor;

(2)the proposed recipient of that uranium has provided assurances that, whenever an alternative nuclear reactor fuel or target can be used in that reactor, it will use that alternative in lieu of highly enriched uranium; and

(3)the United States Government is actively developing an alternative nuclear reactor fuel or target that can be used in that reactor.

(b)Medical isotope production

(1)Definitions

In this subsection: (A) Highly enriched uranium

(B)Medical isotope

The term “medical isotope” includes Molybdenum 99, Iodine 131, Xenon 133, and other radioactive materials used to produce a radiopharmaceutical for diagnostic, therapeutic procedures or for research and development.

(C)Radiopharmaceutical

The term “radiopharmaceutical” means a radioactive isotope that—

(i)contains byproduct material combined with chemical or biological material; and

(ii)is designed to accumulate temporarily in a part of the body for therapeutic purposes or for enabling the production of a useful image for use in a diagnosis of a medical condition.

(D)Recipient country

The term “recipient country” means Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

(2)Licenses

The Commission may issue a license authorizing the export (including shipment to and use at intermediate and ultimate consignees specified in the license) to a recipient country of highly enriched uranium for medical isotope production if, in addition to any other requirements of this chapter (except subsection (a)), the Commission determines that—

(A)a recipient country that supplies an assurance letter to the United States Government in connection with the consideration by the Commission of the export license application has informed the United States Government that any intermediate consignees and the ultimate consignee specified in the application are required to use the highly enriched uranium solely to produce medical isotopes; and

(B)the highly enriched uranium for medical isotope production will be irradiated only in a reactor in a recipient country that—

(i)uses an alternative nuclear reactor fuel; or

(ii)is the subject of an agreement with the United States Government to convert to an alternative nuclear reactor fuel when alternative nuclear reactor fuel can be used in the reactor.

(3)Review of physical protection requirements

(A)In general

The Commission shall review the adequacy of physical protection requirements that, as of the date of an application under paragraph (2), are applicable to the transportation and storage of highly enriched uranium for medical isotope production or control of residual material after irradiation and extraction of medical isotopes.

(B)Imposition of additional requirements

If the Commission determines that additional physical protection requirements are necessary (including a limit on the quantity of highly enriched uranium that may be contained in a single shipment), the Commission shall impose such requirements as license conditions or through other appropriate means.

(4)First report to Congress

(A)NAS study

The Secretary shall enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study to determine—

(i)the feasibility of procuring supplies of medical isotopes from commercial sources that do not use highly enriched uranium;

(ii)the current and projected demand and availability of medical isotopes in regular current domestic use;

(iii)the progress that is being made by the Department of Energy and others to eliminate all use of highly enriched uranium in reactor fuel, reactor targets, and medical isotope production facilities; and

(iv)the potential cost differential in medical isotope production in the reactors and target processing facilities if the products were derived from production systems that do not involve fuels and targets with highly enriched uranium.

(B)Feasibility

For the purpose of this subsection, the use of low enriched uranium to produce medical isotopes shall be determined to be feasible if—

(i)low enriched uranium targets have been developed and demonstrated for use in the reactors and target processing facilities that produce significant quantities of medical isotopes to serve United States needs for such isotopes;

(ii)sufficient quantities of medical isotopes are available from low enriched uranium targets and fuel to meet United States domestic needs; and

(iii)the average anticipated total cost increase from production of medical isotopes in such facilities without use of highly enriched uranium is less than 10 percent.

(C)Report by the Secretary

Not later than 5 years after August 8, 2005, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that—

(i)contains the findings of the National Academy of Sciences made in the study under subparagraph (A); and

(ii)discloses the existence of any commitments from commercial producers to provide domestic requirements for medical isotopes without use of highly enriched uranium consistent with the feasibility criteria described in subparagraph (B) not later than the date that is 4 years after the date of submission of the report.

(5)Second report to Congress

If the study of the National Academy of Sciences determines under paragraph (4)(A)(i) that the procurement of supplies of medical isotopes from commercial sources that do not use highly enriched uranium is feasible, but the Secretary is unable to report the existence of commitments under paragraph (4)(C)(ii), not later than the date that is 6 years after August 8, 2005, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that describes options for developing domestic supplies of medical isotopes in quantities that are adequate to meet domestic demand without the use of highly enriched uranium consistent with the cost increase described in paragraph (4)(B)(iii).

(6)Certification

At such time as commercial facilities that do not use highly enriched uranium are capable of meeting domestic requirements for medical isotopes, within the cost increase described in paragraph (4)(B)(iii) and without impairing the reliable supply of medical isotopes for domestic utilization, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a certification to that effect.

(7)Sunset provision

After the Secretary submits a certification under paragraph (6), the Commission shall, by rule, terminate its review of export license applications under this subsection.

(c)Medical production license sunset

Effective 7 years after January 2, 2013, the Commission may not issue a license for the export of highly enriched uranium from the United States for the purposes of medical isotope production.

(d)Medical production license extension

The period referred to in subsection (c) may be extended for no more than 6 years if, no earlier than 6 years after January 2, 2013, the Secretary of Energy certifies to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate that—

(1)there is insufficient global supply of molybdenum-99 produced without the use of highly enriched uranium available to satisfy the domestic United States market; and

(2)the export of United States-origin highly enriched uranium for the purposes of medical isotope production is the most effective temporary means to increase the supply of molybdenum-99 to the domestic United States market.

(e)Public notice

To ensure public review and comment, the development of the certification described in subsection (d) shall be carried out through announcement in the Federal Register.

(f)Joint certification

(1)In general

In accordance with paragraph (2), the ban on the export of highly enriched uranium for purposes of medical isotope production referred to in subsections (c) and (d) shall not go into effect unless the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Health and Human Services have jointly certified that—

(A)there is a sufficient supply of molybdenum-99 produced without the use of highly enriched uranium available to meet the needs of patients in the United States; and

(B)it is not necessary to export United States-origin highly enriched uranium for the purposes of medical isotope production in order to meet United States patient needs.

(2)Time of certification

The joint certification under paragraph (1) shall be made not later than 7 years after January 2, 2013, except that, if the period referred to in subsection (c) is extended under subsection (d), the 7-year deadline under this paragraph shall be extended by a period equal to the period of such extension under subsection (d).

(g)Suspension of medical production license

At any time after the restriction of export licenses provided for in subsection (c) becomes effective, if there is a critical shortage in the supply of molybdenum-99 available to satisfy the domestic United States medical isotope needs, the restriction of export licenses may be suspended for a period of no more than 12 months, if—

(1)the Secretary of Energy certifies to the Congress that the export of United States-origin highly enriched uranium for the purposes of medical isotope production is the only effective temporary means to increase the supply of molybdenum-99 necessary to meet United States medical isotope needs during that period; and

(2)the Congress enacts a Joint Resolution approving the temporary suspension of the restriction of export licenses.

(h)Definitions

As used in this section

(1)

(2)the term “highly enriched uranium” means uranium enriched to 20 percent or more in the isotope U–235;

(3)a fuel or target “can be used” in a nuclear research or test reactor if—

(A)the fuel or target has been qualified by the Reduced Enrichment Research and Test Reactor Program of the Department of Energy; and

(B)use of the fuel or target will permit the large majority of ongoing and planned experiments and medical isotope production to be conducted in the reactor without a large percentage increase in the total cost of operating the reactor; and

(4)the term “medical isotope” includes molybdenum-99, iodine-131, xenon-133, and other radioactive materials used to produce a radiopharmaceutical for diagnostic or therapeutic procedures or for research and development.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b)(2), was in the original “this Act”, meaning act Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, as added by act Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1, 68 Stat. 919, known as the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 2011 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

2013—Subsecs. (c) to (h). Pub. L. 112–239 added subsecs. (c) to (h) and struck out former subsec. (c), which provided definitions for terms used in this section. 2005—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–58, § 630(1), inserted heading and substituted “Except as provided in subsection (b), the Commission” for “The Commission” in introductory provisions. Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 109–58, § 630(2), (3), added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c).

§2160d Further Restrictions on Exports