H. R. 1534: To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to jointly carry out a study on the use of thorium-liquid fueled nuclear reactors for naval power needs, and for other purposes.

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Jack LiftonCo-founder and DirectorTechnology Metals Research, LLC

Congress Directs The Navy To Look At Thorium Fueled Reactors For Naval Propulsion Power Needs

March 24, 2009

Although thorium is not today mined in the USA commercially, the US House of Representatives had placed before it on March 16 of this year, last week, a bill sponsored by Mr Joe Sestak (D-Pa) directing the US Navy to study all aspects of utilizing thorium in reactor fuel for shipboard propulsion. Rear Admiral Sestak (Ret) is the highest ranking former military officer currently serving in the House of Representatives. Note that the same title is held in the Senate by Rear Admiral John McCain (R-Az). Last month Senators Hatch and Reid introduced into the Senate a bipartisan bill to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to authorize the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to study thorium fuel configurations and to fund such studies. There is certainly a lot of activity in this session of Congress with regard to a metal, which although the US has in abundance, is not mined here at all.