Nuclear Nonproliferation: Concerns With U.S. Delays in Accepting Foreign Research Reactors' Spent Fuel
Abstract
A key nonproliferation goal of the United States is to discourage the use of highly enriched uranium fuel (HEU), a material that can be used to make nuclear bombs, in civilian nuclear programs worldwide. Research reactors are of particular concern because the major civilian use of HEU is as fuel in these reactors. U.S. officials question the safety of spent (used) HEU fuel left in interim storage at reactor sites throughout the world and, for security reasons, would prefer that this spent fuel be consolidated and permanently stored in the United States. The Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors Program was created to convert research reactors from HEU to low enriched uranium (LEU)-a material not directly usable in nuclear weapons. A primary motivation for research reactors to participate in the program was the willingness of the United States to take back their spent fuel. Since 1959, operators of foreign research reactors have been using HEU fuel that they leased or purchased from the United States for such things as medical research, materials testing, and the production of medical isotopes. Beginning in 1968, the Department of Energy (DOE) took back the spent HEU fuel, reprocessed it, and stored the resulting waste at the Savannah River Site, a DOE weapons production facility in South Carolina Spent LEU fuel was taken back beginning in 1986. However, in 1988 and 1992, respectively, DOE allowed these practices, known as the Off-Site Fuels Policy, to expire. This report provides you information on (1) the effects of delays in renewing the Off-Site Fuels Policy on U.S. nonproliferation goals and programs-specifically, the reduced enrichment program to renew the fuels policy, and (3) the price to be charged to the operators of foreign reactors for DOE's activities in taking back spent fuel.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA344922
Entities
People
- G. Aloise
- J. Wells
- L. V. Waters
- P. J. Metz
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office