Marshall, Barrasso Legislation Bans Russian Uranium Imports

(Washington, D.C., March 18, 2022) – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (KS) joined Senator John Barrasso (WY) and colleagues in introducing legislation to ban imports of Russian uranium.

“Imports from Russia and its allies, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, account for nearly half of the uranium powering the United States’ nuclear plants. This high level of dependence on foreign uranium was threatening our national interest and national security before Russia invaded Ukraine, now it’s simply unacceptable. This is a country that has repeatedly shown a willingness to weaponize their energy exports for geopolitical advantage, and have used those profits to finance their aggressive and unprovoked war against the sovereign nation of Ukraine. Enough is enough – energy independence means energy independence and that must include uranium,” said Senator Marshall.

“The time is now to permanently remove all Russian energy from the American marketplace,” said Senator Barrasso. “We know Vladimir Putin uses this money to help fund his brutal and unprovoked war in Ukraine. While banning imports of Russian oil, gas and coal is an important step, it cannot be the last. Banning Russian uranium imports will further defund Russia’s war machine, help revive American uranium production, and increase our national security.”

“Our uranium import dependence is a case study in how our vital domestic minerals supply chains have atrophied to levels that result in a dire national security risk,” said Rich Nolan, President and CEO, National Mining Association. “We are home to the world’s largest fleet of nuclear power plants, significant uranium reserves, and yet we import virtually all of the uranium we use – half of which comes from Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Aggressive action must be taken to address this vulnerability and immediately reinvest in American-sourced, essential mined materials produced under world-leading environmental and labor standards. We applaud Senator Barrasso for introducing this important legislation to immediately ban the import of Russian uranium.”

“Russia has cultivated American reliance on Russian nuclear fuel for some time, posing a dangerous threat to our energy and national security that has taken on new urgency,” said Scott Melbye, President of the Uranium Producers of America and Executive Vice President of Uranium Energy Corp. “We can no longer tolerate this nuclear fuel dependence or the flow of U.S. dollars for uranium purchases that prop up the Putin regime. The U.S. has ample uranium resources and the capacity to produce them at the highest global standards.  The domestic uranium industry stands ready to work with U.S. utilities and other Western uranium suppliers to ensure every single domestic reactor will be able to maintain operations as the U.S. economy increasingly relies on clean nuclear power.”

Background:

Senator Marshall has taken additional action to block Russian energy and restore the American energy sector. Ahead of President Biden’s delayed ban on Russian oil imports, legislation introduced by Senator Marshall would have swiftly moved to stop financing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and remove Russian fuels from American supply chains. Energy Committee Republican Leader Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Rick Scott (R-FL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), John Hoeven (R-ND), and John Cornyn (R-TX) cosponsored Senator Marshall’s legislation. In a new survey, 71% of those polled say that even if it means higher gas prices, they support a ban on Russian oil.

Senator Marshall’s Plan to Unleash America’s Energy Independence:

• Immediately Restart the Keystone XL Pipeline.
• Remove burdensome regulations from America’s energy producers.
• Increase natural gas exports to European allies and other global partners.
• Give certainty to oil and gas producers that credit will remain available to them by maintaining the independence of the Federal Reserve and withdrawing the nomination of Sarah Raskin.
• Encourage FERC to reverse their decision to add new barriers to natural gas pipeline approvals.
• Directly instruct the Department of the Interior to allow new oil and gas leases on public lands.

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