WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US Department of Energy (DOE) should review its sale of uranium to Centrus Energy — formerly known as USEC — following the announcement that the company hired former US Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman as CEO, US Senator John Barrasso said.
“Under Mr. Poneman, the Department of Energy (DOE) gave away significant quantities of publicly-owned uranium for the benefit of USEC,” Barrasso said in a letter sent to DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz on Thursday.
“Centrus’ announcement epitomizes the inappropriate and legally questionable relationship that DOE has had with this private company,” the letter added.
“Under Mr. Poneman, DOE violated both its Management Plan and federal law when overseeing the excess supply of publicly-owned uranium, and did so principally for the benefit of USEC,” Barrasso said in the letter.
Poneman oversaw at the DOE a program that transferred uranium to a third party, which used USEC to re-enrich uranium.
A US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report later found DOE illegally transferred and failed to charge for the uranium.
USEC made up to $300 million in the transfer and US taxpayers lost up to $195 million, according to GAO.
“DOE has long had an improper relationship with USEC. Mr. Poneman’s appointment as President and CEO only promises to make that record worse,” Barrasso said.
In the letter, Barrasso requested the DOE review existing rules for uranium sales with full and open public comment before further sales or transfers of uranium continue.
