OHIO ATOMIC PRESS, Jason Salley — American Centrifuge Operating, LLC (ACO), a Centrus Energy subsidiary, has filed a request with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to allow uranium feedstock sourced from foreign suppliers at its Piketon enrichment facility. The move comes after the Department of Energy granted Centrus a waiver in July 2024 that permits imports of low-enriched uranium (LEU) from Russia for deliveries through 2025.

Environmental watchdogs and industry observers say this change could reintroduce contaminated material containing plutonium and other transuranic elements into the U.S. nuclear fuel cycle. During the former U.S.–Russia Megatons to Megawatts program (1993–2013), down blended Russian weapons-grade uranium was processed at Piketon’s Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, where internal DOE reports found trace amounts of plutonium‑238, plutonium‑239 and technetium‑99 embedded in equipment.

Despite ACO’s assurance that its updated control protocols would not reduce safety or effectiveness, the company’s filing does not specify any new testing procedures or isotopic purity standards for foreign-origin uranium.

Watchdog groups are urging regulators to require ACO to implement rigorous isotopic screening, independent third-party verification of uranium purity, and public disclosure of supplier sources and test results before any approval is granted.

The request follows a DOE waiver issued July 18, 2024, under the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act, temporarily allowing Centrus to import Russian LEU through 2025, with decisions for 2026 and 2027 deferred. The law permits such waivers through Jan. 1, 2028, if deemed in the national interest or if no viable alternative supply exists.

Critics say the waiver undermines efforts to wean the U.S. off Russian nuclear fuel dominance, while failing to address contamination risks tied to legacy uranium enrichment practices at Piketon.

The outcome of ACO’s NRC review process under 10 CFR Part 70 will determine whether the plant can legally proceed with foreign uranium feedstock, potentially accelerating its High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) demonstration project.