Medical Company Sought an Eased Limit on Uranium

[Eric J in MN]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/09/politics/09nuke.html?oref=login

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 - The new energy law weakens limits on exports of highly enriched uranium, a change opposed by people who fear the spread of nuclear weapons and by the top nonproliferation official at the Energy Department.
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But a Canadian company that makes an isotope used in the United States in cancer diagnosis argued that it needed the change.

Since 1992, the United States has barred exports of highly enriched uranium, except in cases in which there is no way for a reactor to use low-enriched uranium and the United States works to convert the reactor to low-enriched uranium with the reactor operator's cooperation.

The Canadian company, MDS Nordion, uses a reactor at Chalk River, Ontario, to fission highly enriched uranium, or H.E.U., to produce molybdenum 99, which is used to make an injectable drug for diagnostic imaging.

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Congress as a whole didn't support this "Burr Amendment" which loosens the export of weapons-grade uranium.

It was added in the conference between the House and Senate.

Please ask your Congressperson or Senators to reverse the Burr Amendment and restrict the export of uranium.

You can find their contact info by entering their last names at:
www.vote-smart.org

[Eric J in MN]

1. Important: contact a Senator or Rep.

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[Eric J in MN]

2. kick

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