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Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
        The President wrote, “The Working Group shall examine the current state of domestic nuclear fuel production to reinvigorate the entire nuclear fuel supply chain, consistent with United States national security and non-proliferation goals.”
       The Working Group is required to report back to the President within ninety days of the date that the Memorandum was issued. The report was to include findings and recommendations to further enable domestic nuclear fuel production if this is needed.
        Maria Korsnick is the President and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute. She “applauded” the President’s decision that uranium imports were not a threat to national security at this time. She said, “Quotas on uranium imports would have a crippling impact on the economic health of the US nuclear fleet. The formation of the Nuclear Fuel Working Group to support the front-end of the domestic fuel cycle aligns with one of NEI’s recommendations to address the very real challenges faced by the US uranium miners and other fuel cycle suppliers.”
       Energy Fuels is the biggest uranium producer in the U.S. They issued a statement that said that their petition to the federal government had been very successful even thought the President disagreed with the main point of the etition. They said that the President, “acknowledged he has significant concerns regarding the impact of uranium imports on the national security with respect to domestic mining. A fuller analysis of national security considerations with respect to the entire nuclear fuel supply chain is necessary at this time.” The company said that it looked forward to working with the Working Group to “ensure the United States will have a viable uranium mining industry that can fulfil national security needs now and into the future.”
        Mark Chalmers is the President and CEO of Energy Fuels. He said, “We commend President Trump for recognizing the crucial importance of nuclear energy, the importance of the entire nuclear fuel supply chain and the importance of the domestic uranium mining industry as a key component of that chain.”
       Energy Fuels has claimed that it owns and operates some of the lowest cost in situ recovery and conventional uranium mines in the U.S. It is also the owner of White Mesa Mill which is located in Utah. The White Mesa Mill is the only conventional uranium mill in the U.S. which is licensed and operating.
       Cameco is a Canadian uranium mining company which said it was pleased with Trump’s decision with respect to Section 232. Tim Gitzel is the President and CEO of Cameco. He made a public statement to the effect that uranium supplied by Cameco to the U.S. has never been a threat to U.S. national security. He said that the establishment of the Working Group may “broaden the range of options” that could be considered to support the uranium industry in the U.S. beyond the “trade-related remedies” permitted under Section 232.
       Gitzel went on to say, “Cameco will participate in the efforts of this Working Group in any way we can. As a long-term commercial producer, employer, supplier and investor in the US uranium and nuclear energy sectors, we want to see this industry succeed and grow.”
Please read Part 3