Energy, environment and natural resources

Executive Order 13085: Establishment of the Enrichment Oversight Committee

President: Bill Clinton

Set up an interagency committee to oversee the privatized US Enrichment Corporation and the US–Russia weapons-uranium agreement.

Status: In effect. Sources: Official source · Official source.

Is Executive Order 13085 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13085 of May 26, 1998 remains unrevoked; its oversight responsibilities cover USEC and successor enrichment businesses, not only the Russian uranium agreement. The National Archives disposition table records no revocation, and the current U.S. Code retains the order.

What does Executive Order 13085 do?

EO 13085 created the Enrichment Oversight Committee, chaired from the National Security Council, to coordinate federal oversight after the US Enrichment Corporation was privatized. It covered implementation of the agreement to turn Russian weapons uranium into reactor fuel, foreign ownership concerns, domestic enrichment capacity and information for Congress. A 2000 GAO review found that the committee had not fulfilled every assigned responsibility. The 1998 order does not itself license uranium facilities or establish the committee’s present activity.

Administration position: Creating an oversight committee did not guarantee that all of its assigned monitoring and reporting work was completed.
SignedMay 26, 1998
Federal RegisterMay 28, 1998, 63 FR 29335
ChairNational Security Council official
Later reviewGAO report in 2000

Before and after

Before the order

The 1993 US–Russia highly enriched uranium agreement and USEC privatization process already existed.

After the order

An interagency committee and subcommittee were assigned oversight, coordination and reporting duties.

GAO later documented gaps in the committee’s work and recommended specific further assessments.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Enrichment Oversight CommitteeCoordinate monitoring of the agreement, foreign control and domestic enrichmentAt least quarterly meetings
HEU oversight subcommitteeMonitor the executive agent and consider alternate-agent proceduresDuring implementation
Member agenciesCarry out their own operational responsibilities and supply informationDuring committee work

What happened next

EO 13085 established the committee.

Original order, disposition and GAO findings checked; current operation not verified.