Inside America’s Rapid Push for Domestic Uranium Enrichment

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:08:00 +0200

The article by physicist and environmental activist Lynda Williams examines how the United States is accelerating domestic uranium enrichment amid geopolitical tensions and a push for nuclear energy independence. After decades of relying on foreign suppliers—especially Russia—the U.S. is now funding five private companies with $2.7 billion in Department of Energy contracts to build new enrichment sites. The leading contender, Global Laser Enrichment LLC (GLE), plans a $1.76 billion laser-based enrichment facility in Paducah, Kentucky, next to the contaminated Cold War-era plant. The facility would destroy dozens of wetlands, generate nearly 300,000 metric tons of radioactive waste over 40 years, and discharge potentially contaminated water into local waterways. The license application for GLE is heavily redacted, and the environmental review reportedly borrows incomplete data from reactor-based impact statements. Critics argue this undermines transparency, environmental safeguards, and