Uranium business's first 20 months as private firm have been troubled

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Less than two years after the government sold its uranium business, the private company it created to take on the job is mired in financial quicksand. The deal is also jeopardizing a crucial nuclear security agreement with Russia, critics say.

USEC Inc.'s first 20 months as a private company have been anything but smooth. Its stock has dropped 70 percent, its credit rating is in junk bond territory, and its earnings have nose-dived.Amid the financial turmoil, lawmakers and others are questioning the sale. A congressional investigation has been under way for a year, with the first public hearings scheduled this week.BR