Summer Enrichment Series #2: National Security and U.S. Domestic Uranium Enrichment Requirements

Moderator:

Sharon Squassoni
Director and Senior Fellow, Proliferation Prevention Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Panel:
Dr. Jonathan Epstein
Counsel, Senate Committee on Armed Service

Mr. Mark Holt
Policy Analyst, Congressional Research Service

Mr. Kirk Schnoebelen
President and CEO, Urenco, Inc.

Mr. Henry Sokolski
Executive Director, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center

Mr. Drew Walter
Professional Staff Member, House Committee on Armed Services

A group of 5 panelists- Jonathan Epstein, Mark Holt, Kirk Schnoebelen, Henry Sokolski and Drew Walter- addressed national security concerns as they relate to domestic uranium enrichment capacity in the United States. The panel offered their perspective on the merits of national security arguments for a domestic enrichment capacity, the importance of continued federal subsidies and the viability of alternative option. The subsequent debate among participants touched on issues such as government policy towards the use of uranium enriched by foreign-owned equipment for tritium production, and the uses and sourcing of HEU (highly enriched uranium) in the United States. Consideration was also given to the line separating military from civilian enrichment. Overall, participants stressed the need for an articulated, consistent national policy regarding uranium enrichment, and focused on how that policy might best be shaped in the service of national security and nonproliferation interests.