A license is required from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to export certain nuclear materials. Those license applications are typically printed in the Federal Register for comment. After 9/11 the NRC deleted certain information from the Federal Register Notice, including the precise quantity to be exported, such as it did in this Federal Register notice of an application for a license to export highly enriched uranium to France.

In response to these restrictions the Nuclear Control Institute wrote a letter to the NRC in February 2006 complaining that the omission from the public notice of the quantity of nuclear material to be exported deprived the public of meaningful comment on the license application. The NCI letter cited an instance where public comment on an export of HEU to Belgium’s BR-2 reactor revealed that Belgium had no immediate need for the HEU and the license application was withdrawn. According to NCI, limitation of export of excess quantities reduces the risk of diversion of the material to weapons use.

The NRC responded to the NCI letter on August 31 by agreeing to reveal the quantity in future proposed export applications. In a letter to NCI, NRC Chairman Dale Klein noted:

[T]he NRC intends to disclose quantity information for enriched uranium above 6% U-235, mixed oxide materials, and certain other radionuclides absent an NRC determination of a compelling reason for nondisclosure. Federal Register notices for proposed HEU exports will also include quantities requested. However, the NRC will continue to withhold information on projected or actual shipment schedules, delivery dates, date required, mode of transport, storage arrangements, or any other related logistical information provided by either the applicant, the licensee, other parties to the transaction or added by NRC, as this information could be useful to a potential adversary.

“Hat tip” on this item to Secrecy News, a blog maintained by the Federation of American Scientists

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Copyright © 2006 Clif Burns. All Rights Reserved.
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