The U.S. House of Representatives approved a ban on the import of uranium from Russia

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a law that prohibits the import of Russian uranium for nuclear power plants.

The Hill reported on this development.

The bill restricts the import of low-enriched uranium, which is used in nuclear fuel, within 90 days of the document coming into effect. Simultaneously, it provides the option to waive this prohibition if there are no other viable sources of uranium to sustain nuclear reactors.

“One of the most urgent security threats America faces right now is our dangerous reliance on Russia’s supply of nuclear fuels for our nuclear fleet,” Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers said, adding that the war in Ukraine “intensified” the issue. 

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the majority of uranium fueling American power plants is imported, and approximately 12% of this import in 2022 originated from Russia.