Washington: The US Senate has approved House-passed legislation to ban US imports of Russian uranium.
The Senate passed the bill in a unanimous vote on Tuesday night, sending it to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
The legislation specifically bans US imports of unirradiated low-enriched uranium that is produced in Russia or by a Russian entity. The bill also prohibits US imports of unirradiated low-enriched uranium that has been swapped for the banned uranium to prevent any efforts to circumvent the ban’s restrictions.
However, the legislation notes that the US Department of Energy may issue a waiver to this ban if it determines that no alternative viable source of low-enriched uranium is available to sustain the continued operation of a US nuclear reactor or nuclear energy company, or if it also determines the US importation of the uranium is in the national interest.
Any waiver issued by the Energy Department must terminate by January 1, 2028, while the ban itself expires on December 31, 2040.
