Uranium was/is leaving the US
The US government ultimately reaped $3 billion from the sale to a new firm, the US Enrichment Corporation (USEC) by some reports. Their 1998 IPO set the per-share price at $14.25. But to sweeten the deal for what looked like soon-to-be white elephants, USEC was made principal agent for the commercial sale of Russian down-blended uranium. The US government retained responsibility for the decommissioning and cleanup of the plants once they closed for good.
At their IPO, they claimed to supply 75% of the US market for enrichment services and 40% of the world market. Assets totaled over $3 billion.
And here's where the Uranium One deal comes in
USEC went bankrupt in 2012, although it has reorganized itself and emerged a shadow of its former self under the name of Centrus Energy.
Its principal business is as a sales agent for TENEX, the Russian enrichment concern. But even that is limited by a 2008 law restricting Russian imports of enrichment services.
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