BETHESDA, Md., Oct 23, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- USEC Inc. (NYSE:USU) finished the cleanup of its technetium-contaminated uranium inventories this month, the Company announced today. The 7,434 metric tons (MT) of uranium cleaned were part of an inventory of natural uranium transferred to the Company by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) prior to USEC's privatization.
In 2000, USEC discovered that 9,550 MT of that inventory may have contained elevated levels of technetium, making it out-of-specification according to standards for uranium hexafluoride for enrichment as set by the American Society for Testing and Materials. Because the uranium may not have met these specifications, USEC could not use the material as feed for enrichment.
USEC has been cleaning the 7,434 MT of contaminated inventory under a contract with DOE at the Company's Piketon, Ohio, facility using a patented process the Company developed. The cost of cleaning USEC's uranium was less than 15 percent of the price of buying replacement uranium at today's prices.
USEC's cleanup project began in 2002 and was completed within budget and more than two months ahead of schedule. USEC developed the process in the late 1990s and spent about 12 months perfecting it over 2002 to 2003. The process works by liquefying uranium hexafluoride contaminated with technetium and passing it through a trapping media that removes the technetium.
As part of DOE's remediation efforts, the department also transferred 2,116 MT of clean uranium in 2004 to the Company in exchange for an equal amount of contaminated material. USEC is also under contract to clean part of DOE's remaining contaminated inventory in order to bring it up to specifications. That project is ongoing and anticipated to continue through 2008, subject to continued funding.
This news release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that involve risks and uncertainty. Economic, business, market, regulatory, technology and other factors could cause USEC's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements. More information about these factors is contained in USEC's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including USEC's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which are available on USEC's website www.usec.com. USEC does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements except as required by law.
USEC Inc., a global energy company, is a leading supplier of enriched uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.
SOURCE: USEC Inc.
USEC Inc. Media: Elizabeth Stuckle, 301-564-3399 or Investors: Steven Wingfield, 301-564-3354