US should shore up its mineral supply chains

There may have been a time when lawmakers could look at the source of a shipment of imported uranium and ignore it.  But that’s ancient history now. Nearly 50 percent of the uranium used at U.S. nuclear power plants is imported from Russia and two of its closest allies, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

These imports, should they continue, will have dramatic consequences for our politics and society -- but only if our government does nothing about it. 

With Russia’s murderous invasion of Ukraine -- and the possibility that Vladimir Putin could retaliate against the U.S. by embargoing uranium shipments, the real question is how we respond. In looking for guidance on geopolitical issues, anger doesn’t help much. What does help is sending arms to Ukraine and imposing harsh economic sanctions against Russia.  

This is the kind of mobilization needed to deal with Russia’s genocidal attack on innocent people. 

Sanctions should be applied to every economic sector, including industrial and energy production, technologies, transportation, and finance. In other words, whatever it takes to stop Putin’s drive to conquer Ukraine and other European countries. 

Congress is considering sanctions that would prohibit imports of Russian uranium, which alone account for 17 percent of the uranium used to produce nuclear-generated electricity in the United States. But more effective would be a broader ban covering uranium imports from Russia’s satellites, with their interdependent economies. 

America has abundant uranium resources under the ground, yet there are only two operating uranium mines in the U.S., one in Utah, the other in Wyoming.  In fact, we import virtually all of the uranium we use.  For several decades, we have woefully ignored our mineral production, as seen in our over-reliance on foreign countries for many other minerals.  

To help replace Russian uranium, we should increase imports from friendly countries like Canada and Australia.  At the same time, new uranium mines in the United States could be developed -- and begin operating in a few years -- if Congress streamlines the mine permitting process. 

Legislation to do that is pending in Congress. President Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act to provide financial assistance to companies that produce critically important items for national security and the nation’s economic well-being.  Battery metals such as lithium and cobalt were recently added to the list. Uranium should also be added.  

It’s incomprehensible that America, with abundant mineral resources, relies heavily on Russia and its allies for uranium needed at nuclear plants that generate more than 50 percent of the nation’s emission-free electricity.  Instead of importing uranium from our enemies, we need to reshore supply chains and deny Putin the money he gives to his military.     

— Jim Constantopoulos

Eastern New Mexico University geology professor