Turns out to be no big deal.Article was a trifle misleading as...

Turns out to be no big deal.

Article was a trifle misleading as it does not mention sales actually a continuation of previous authorityon 10 Nov 2009 by Secretary of Energy. Only material change is maximum sales per quarter in new authority now 450 metric tons whereas limitation was 300 metric tons

http://www.ne.doe.gov/pdfFiles/Secretarial_Determination111009.pdf

Having considered the requirements of the USEC Privatization Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C.??2297h-10), the current status of the domestic uranium mining, conversion, and enrichment industries, and the Department's analysis regarding the potential impacts of sales or transfers of natural uranium hexafluoride sufficient to fund services for accelerated cleanup work at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant during the time period starting in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2009 through calendar year 2010, provided that the transfers are made on a quarterly basis, with no more than 300 metric tons uranium transferred in any quarter and a total of no more than 1,125 metric tons transferred for the entire period, I have determined that such sales or transfers will not have an adverse material impact on the domestic uranium mining, conversion, or enrichment industries. In the Department's analysis and this determination, I have taken into account the sales of uranium under the Russian Highly Enriched Uranium Agreement and the Suspension Agreement.
Steven Chu 11/10/09