WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of twin climate and energy panels in the House and the co-chair of the bipartisan Caucuses on Nonproliferation, today voiced support for the Obama Administration's intent to strengthen sanctions against Iran in the wake of President Ahmadinejad's announcement regarding new uranium enrichment activities, ostensibly for its medical isotope reactor.

"Iran's decision to move forward with uranium enrichment puts it on a dangerous course,” said Markey. “Iranian President Ahmadinejad must halt this at once, or face U.N. Security Council sanctions and international isolation.

"Iran claims it needs to enrich uranium to meet its medical isotope needs.  But the world has offered to transfer fuel rods to Iran that could supply its medical isotope production reactors without posing a proliferation risk, if Iran would in turn hand over its uranium stockpiles.  Iran should accept this offer, and abandon efforts to develop a uranium enrichment capability that could further destabilize the politics of the Persian Gulf region."

 
Rep. Markey is the co-author of the American Medical Isotopes Production Act (H.R. 3276), which would end the export of U.S. highly enriched uranium (HEU) for the purposes of medical isotope production, support the development of medical isotope production technologies that do not require HEU, and encourage the conversion of international medical isotope production reactors from HEU to low enriched uranium.   The House approved H.R. 3276 on November 5th, 2009 and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee approved similar legislation on January 28th of this year.  The bill is now awaiting Senate Floor action.

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