⚛️DOE's Amended ROD on Uranium Blend Down
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is amending its August 5, 1996, Record of Decision (ROD) for the Disposition of Surplus Highly Enriched Uranium Final Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0240) (hereafter referred to as the HEU EIS), and its April 19, 2022, Amended ROD for the Savannah River Site Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0279) (hereafter referred to as the SRS SNF EIS). DOE now amends its previous decisions and will blend down approximately 2.2 metric tons (MT) of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) at H-Area at the Savannah River Site (SRS). DOE anticipates this activity would begin as early as 2025 and continue approximately 2 to 4 years consistent with program and policy priorities, and funding. DOE will transport the HALEU liquid to an offsite commercial vendor for fabrication into reactor fuel for use in nuclear reactors. Because the 2.2 MT of HEU will be blended down for use in reactor fuel, it will not be sent to the SRS liquid high-level waste (HLW) management system for disposal as described in the Amended ROD for the SRS SNF EIS.
Learn More⚛️Business Implications of DOE’s HALEU Record of Decision
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) announces the Record of Decision (ROD) for the "Final Environmental Impact Statement for Department of Energy Activities in Support of Commercial Production of High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU)" (Final HALEU EIS) (DOE/EIS-0559). DOE prepared the Final HALEU EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA") to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of activities associated with DOE's Proposed Action to acquire, through procurement from commercial sources, HALEU enriched to at least 19.75 and less than 20 weight percent uranium-235 (U-235) over a 10-year period of performance, and to facilitate the establishment of commercial HALEU fuel production. The Proposed Action addresses the Energy Act of 2020 ("the Energy Act of 2020" or in context, "the Energy Act"), for the acquisition of HALEU produced by a commercial entity using enrichment technology and making it available for commercial use or demonstration projects. DOE also evaluated the No Action Alternative. DOE has decided to implement the Proposed Action, its Preferred Alternative, as described in the Final HALEU EIS.
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