Construction begins on uranium enrichment plant

Ground was broken last week in Eunice, N.M., for construction of the first commercial centrifuge uranium enrichment plant in the U.S. The $1.5 billion facility is owned by Louisiana Energy Services, a consortium of mostly European entities led by Urenco, which supplies about 20% of the world's commercial fuel for nuclear power plants. Attending the ceremony were New Mexico officials, including Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R), Gov. Bill Richardson (D), and Rep. Steve Pearce (R), as well as top Department of Energy officials. Richardson, a former energy secretary, had opposed construction until an agreement was reached in which depleted uranium generated by the plant must be moved out of the state. The facility will begin enriching uranium in 2009 and will be fully operational by 2013, company officials say. It is the first major U.S. nuclear facility to be built in 30 years and the first to receive a combined construction and operating license (C&EN, July 17, page 31).