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abolition-usa-digest     Thursday, April 13 2000     Volume 01 : Number 290




----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 12:34:59 -0400
From: Ellen Thomas <[e-mail]>
Subject: (abolition-usa) MOX is dead in U.S.!

- --=====================_16115549==_.ALT
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
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Energy Department Opts Against Reusing Spent Nuclear Fuel

By Cat Lazaroff, Environment News Service, April 12, 2000
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr2000/2000L-04-12-06.html

WASHINGTON, DC, April 12, 2000 (ENS) - The Department of Energy has decid=
ed
that spent nuclear fuel should be melted down for permanent disposal, rat=
her
than reprocessed for reuse as fuel or other products. The decision, which
environmentalists say will prove safer than reuse of the fuel, is also be=
ing
hailed as a victory for nuclear non-proliferation efforts.=20

Energy Secretary Bill Richardson (All photos courtesy DOE)

The policy was established in a report being issued publicly by the Depar=
tment
of Energy (DOE) this week. The "Savannah River Site Spent Fuel Management=
 Final
Environmental Impact Statement" evaluates alternatives for the safe and
efficient management of spent nuclear fuel from power plants that is stor=
ed at
or scheduled to be received by the DOE=92s Savannah River Site in South C=
arolina.

The DOE had been considering a process in which the spent fuel would be
reprocessed, separating the wastes into highly enriched uranium and a lar=
ge
volume of liquid radioactive waste. Critics feared the uranium could be u=
sed to
build nuclear weapons, hindering U.S. and international moves toward
disarmament and nonproliferation. In addition, the disposal of radioactiv=
e
liquid waste is considered more hazardous and difficult than disposal of =
solid
wastes.=20

Instead, the DOE is leaning toward melting down the wastes and mixing the=
m with
nonreactive substances, forming metal ingots that the agency says can be =
safely
stored in permanent repositories. The process also makes the uranium in t=
he
wastes unsuitable for making bombs.=20

"The melt-and-dilute technology under development at SRS will further our
efforts to reduce the danger from weapons of mass destruction," Richardso=
n said
in a statement. "Also, it will reduce waste generation and provide a cost
effective, long term way to manage aluminum based spent fuel."=20

The DOE=92s choice of a new technology which does not reprocess the spent=
 fuel
avoids adding to the stockpile of nuclear weapons material, said the Nucl=
ear
Control Institute (NCI) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).=
=20

"Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson deserves congratulations for making =
sure
that this important new policy was actively pursued and approved," said N=
CI
Executive Director Tom Clements. "Now he must act decisively to make sure=
 there
is an adequate budget to implement the policy and get the job done."=20

 Spent fuel rods underwater at a receiving basin for off-site fuels at th=
e
Savannah River Site=20

 The decision covers highly enriched uranium spent fuels from research re=
actors
in the U.S. and similar wastes imported from other countries for disposal.
Other forms of spent fuel covered in the Environmental Impact Statement w=
ill be
reprocessed, but both NCI and NRDC view the decision on the highly enrich=
ed
uranium spent fuel as an essential step in hastening the end of reprocess=
ing in
the U.S. and an important example for other nations.=20

"This decision sends a positive non-proliferation signal internationally =
and is
a critical step toward the closing of reprocessing facilities at SRS," sa=
id
NRDC Staff Attorney David Adelman. "These plants were built as an integra=
l part
of fissile material production for weapons during the Cold War, and they =
are no
longer needed. Long term funding for melt-and-dilute must still be assure=
d to
keep the shutdown of these plants on track."=20

Of the 68 tonnes of fuel covered in the Environmental Impact Statement, a=
bout
48 tonnes - 60 percent of the mass, 97 percent of the volume of the waste=
s -
would be subjected to the melt and dilute treatment. The processed ingots=
 would
be destined for eventual shipment to the planned permanent repository at =
Yucca
Mountain, Nevada.=20

Melt-and-dilute involves the melting in an oven of the aluminum-clad high=
ly
enriched uranium research reactor spent fuel assemblies, with conversion =
of the
melted material into low-enriched uranium ingots. In order to demonstrate=
 the
new technology, the DOE plans to melt highly enriched uranium spent fuel =
in an
oven soon to be installed in the old L-Reactor building at the Savannah R=
iver
Site.=20

The full-scale treatment facility is expected to be operational in the
L-Reactor building at Savannah in fiscal year 2008. L-Reactor was permane=
ntly
closed in the late 1980=92s after decades of plutonium and tritium produc=
tion for
weapons.=20

Spent nuclear fuel pools like this hold tons of reactor wastes at Savanna=
h
River Site=20

DOE=92s Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, South Carolina, currentl=
y stores
a large quantity of foreign and domestic spent fuel in pools and is sched=
uled
to continue receiving such material from numerous research reactors aroun=
d the
world until 2009. The United States originally supplied the bomb-grade ur=
anium
fuel to reactors in over 30 countries and numerous U.S. universities, but=
 after
realizing the proliferation risks of such supply began a program to conve=
rt the
wastes into forms incapable of being used for weapons.=20

DOE=92s concerted effort to convert research reactors to low enriched ura=
nium
ingots, known as the Reduced Enrichment in Research and Test Reactors (RE=
RTR),
has proved to be one of the U.S. government=92s most successful non-proli=
feration
initiatives. Under the RERTR program, DOE agreed to accept spent highly
enriched uranium fuel for disposition in the U.S. in order to reduce risk=
s of
its diversion overseas for weapons.=20

NCI and NRDC praised Secretary Richardson for fulfilling a commitment mad=
e in
the 1996 by one of his predecessors, Hazel O=92Leary, to develop non-repr=
ocessing
technologies for management of the returning spent fuel for environmental=
 and
non-proliferation reasons.=20

"We congratulate Secretary Richardson for honoring DOE=92s earlier commit=
ment to
the American people to pursue non-reprocessing disposal options for this
bomb-grade spent fuel," said Clements. "As the U.S. moves to treat
weapons-grade nuclear material as waste rather than as a valuable commodi=
ty to
be introduced into commerce, foreign states will be encouraged to do the =
same."

 The H-Canyon corridor at the Savannah River Site - one of the two remain=
ing
DOE reprocessing facilities=20

 The U.S. terminated commercial reprocessing of spent fuel in 1972 but ha=
s yet
to present a firm timetable for closing the two remaining DOE reprocessin=
g
facilities, F- and H-Canyons, both located at the Savannah River Site.=20

"From an environmental perspective, the people of South Carolina and Geor=
gia
should welcome this decision by DOE, but they deserve to be presented a
timetable for closure of the dirty and dangerous reprocessing facilities,=
" said
Clements.=20

The DOE will issue a record of decision sometime after the end of a 30 da=
y
public comment period beginning Friday. The final Environmental Impact
Statement will be published in the Federal Register on Friday.=20

     ___________________________________________________

NucNews Archives: http://prop1.org/nucnews/briefslv.htm
Today's Newspapers: http://prop1.org/nucnews/links.htm
Submit Letter/Notice/Article: mailto:[e-mail] (NucNews-Editor)
About NucNews: http://prop1.org/nucnews/nucnews.htm
E-Mail Archive: http://www.onelist.com/archive/NucNews
Subscribe:  mailto:[e-mail] (NucNews-Subscribe)

Here are excellent e-mail news resources (free, by subscription, for
educational purposes, in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107.):

DOE Watch - [e-mail] | http://members.aol.com/doewatch=20
Downwinders - [e-mail] | http://[e-mail]=20
EnviroNews - [e-mail]|http://www.envirolink.org/environe=
ws=20
Planet Ark - mailto:[e-mail]|http://www.planetark.org/news/
Radbull (Radiation Bulletin for Activists) - mailto:[e-mail]

      Distributed without payment for research and educational=20
   purposes only, by subscription, and archived for the use of all,
             in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107.



- --=====================_16115549==_.ALT
Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by pooky.myhouse.com id MAA09273

<html><div>Energy Department Opts Against Reusing Spent Nuclear
Fuel</div>
<br>
<div>By Cat Lazaroff, Environment News Service, April 12, 2000</div>
<div><a href=3D"http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr2000/2000L-04-12-06.html" EUD=
ORA=3DAUTOURL>http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr2000/2000L-04-12-06.html</a></d=
iv>
<br>
<div>WASHINGTON, DC, April 12, 2000 (ENS) - The Department of Energy has
decided that spent nuclear fuel should be melted down for permanent
disposal, rather than reprocessed for reuse as fuel or other products.
The decision, which environmentalists say will prove safer than reuse of
the fuel, is also being hailed as a victory for nuclear non-proliferation
efforts. </div>
<br>
<div>Energy Secretary Bill Richardson (All photos courtesy DOE)</div>
<br>
<div>The policy was established in a report being issued publicly by the
Department of Energy (DOE) this week. The "Savannah River Site Spent
Fuel Management Final Environmental Impact Statement" evaluates
alternatives for the safe and efficient management of spent nuclear fuel
from power plants that is stored at or scheduled to be received by the
DOE=92s Savannah River Site in South Carolina. </div>
<br>
<div>The DOE had been considering a process in which the spent fuel would
be reprocessed, separating the wastes into highly enriched uranium and a
large volume of liquid radioactive waste. Critics feared the uranium
could be used to build nuclear weapons, hindering U.S. and international
moves toward disarmament and nonproliferation. In addition, the disposal
of radioactive liquid waste is considered more hazardous and difficult
than disposal of solid wastes. </div>
<br>
<div>Instead, the DOE is leaning toward melting down the wastes and
mixing them with nonreactive substances, forming metal ingots that the
agency says can be safely stored in permanent repositories. The process
also makes the uranium in the wastes unsuitable for making bombs.=20
</div>
<br>
<div>"The melt-and-dilute technology under development at SRS will
further our efforts to reduce the danger from weapons of mass
destruction," Richardson said in a statement. "Also, it will
reduce waste generation and provide a cost effective, long term way to
manage aluminum based spent fuel." </div>
<br>
<div>The DOE=92s choice of a new technology which does not reprocess the
spent fuel avoids adding to the stockpile of nuclear weapons material,
said the Nuclear Control Institute (NCI) and the Natural Resources
Defense Council (NRDC). </div>
<br>
<div>"Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson deserves congratulations
for making sure that this important new policy was actively pursued and
approved," said NCI Executive Director Tom Clements. "Now he
must act decisively to make sure there is an adequate budget to implement
the policy and get the job done." </div>
<br>
<div> Spent fuel rods underwater at a receiving basin for off-site
fuels at the Savannah River Site </div>
<br>
<div> The decision covers highly enriched uranium spent fuels from
research reactors in the U.S. and similar wastes imported from other
countries for disposal. Other forms of spent fuel covered in the
Environmental Impact Statement will be reprocessed, but both NCI and NRDC
view the decision on the highly enriched uranium spent fuel as an
essential step in hastening the end of reprocessing in the U.S. and an
important example for other nations. </div>
<br>
<div>"This decision sends a positive non-proliferation signal
internationally and is a critical step toward the closing of reprocessing
facilities at SRS," said NRDC Staff Attorney David Adelman.
"These plants were built as an integral part of fissile material
production for weapons during the Cold War, and they are no longer
needed. Long term funding for melt-and-dilute must still be assured to
keep the shutdown of these plants on track." </div>
<br>
<div>Of the 68 tonnes of fuel covered in the Environmental Impact
Statement, about 48 tonnes - 60 percent of the mass, 97 percent of the
volume of the wastes - would be subjected to the melt and dilute
treatment. The processed ingots would be destined for eventual shipment
to the planned permanent repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. </div>
<br>
<div>Melt-and-dilute involves the melting in an oven of the aluminum-clad
highly enriched uranium research reactor spent fuel assemblies, with
conversion of the melted material into low-enriched uranium ingots. In
order to demonstrate the new technology, the DOE plans to melt highly
enriched uranium spent fuel in an oven soon to be installed in the old
L-Reactor building at the Savannah River Site. </div>
<br>
<div>The full-scale treatment facility is expected to be operational in
the L-Reactor building at Savannah in fiscal year 2008. L-Reactor was
permanently closed in the late 1980=92s after decades of plutonium and
tritium production for weapons. </div>
<br>
<div>Spent nuclear fuel pools like this hold tons of reactor wastes at
Savannah River Site </div>
<br>
<div>DOE=92s Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, South Carolina,
currently stores a large quantity of foreign and domestic spent fuel in
pools and is scheduled to continue receiving such material from numerous
research reactors around the world until 2009. The United States
originally supplied the bomb-grade uranium fuel to reactors in over 30
countries and numerous U.S. universities, but after realizing the
proliferation risks of such supply began a program to convert the wastes
into forms incapable of being used for weapons. </div>
<br>
<div>DOE=92s concerted effort to convert research reactors to low enriche=
d
uranium ingots, known as the Reduced Enrichment in Research and Test
Reactors (RERTR), has proved to be one of the U.S. government=92s most
successful non-proliferation initiatives. Under the RERTR program, DOE
agreed to accept spent highly enriched uranium fuel for disposition in
the U.S. in order to reduce risks of its diversion overseas for weapons.
</div>
<br>
<div>NCI and NRDC praised Secretary Richardson for fulfilling a
commitment made in the 1996 by one of his predecessors, Hazel O=92Leary, =
to
develop non-reprocessing technologies for management of the returning
spent fuel for environmental and non-proliferation reasons. </div>
<br>
<div>"We congratulate Secretary Richardson for honoring DOE=92s
earlier commitment to the American people to pursue non-reprocessing
disposal options for this bomb-grade spent fuel," said Clements.
"As the U.S. moves to treat weapons-grade nuclear material as waste
rather than as a valuable commodity to be introduced into commerce,
foreign states will be encouraged to do the same." </div>
<br>
<div> The H-Canyon corridor at the Savannah River Site - one of the
two remaining DOE reprocessing facilities </div>
<br>
<div> The U.S. terminated commercial reprocessing of spent fuel in
1972 but has yet to present a firm timetable for closing the two
remaining DOE reprocessing facilities, F- and H-Canyons, both located at
the Savannah River Site. </div>
<br>
<div>"From an environmental perspective, the people of South
Carolina and Georgia should welcome this decision by DOE, but they
deserve to be presented a timetable for closure of the dirty and
dangerous reprocessing facilities," said Clements. </div>
<br>
<div>The DOE will issue a record of decision sometime after the end of a
30 day public comment period beginning Friday. The final Environmental
Impact Statement will be published in the Federal Register on Friday.
</div>
<br>


___________________________________________________<br>
<br>
<font size=3D2>NucNews Archives:
<a href=3D"http://prop1.org/nucnews/briefslv.htm" eudora=3D"autourl">http=
://prop1.org/nucnews/briefslv.htm</a><br>
Today's Newspapers:
<a href=3D"http://prop1.org/nucnews/links.htm" eudora=3D"autourl">http://=
prop1.org/nucnews/links.htm</a><br>
Submit Letter/Notice/Article:
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org</a>
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=3D"autourl">http://www.onelist.com/archive/NucNews</a><br>
Subscribe:  <a href=3D"mailto:[e-mail]" eudora=3D"autourl">ma=
ilto:[e-mail]</a> (NucNews-Subscribe)<br>
<br>
Here are excellent e-mail news resources (free, by subscription, for educ=
ational purposes, in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107.):<br>
<br>
DOE Watch - </font><font size=3D2 color=3D"#0000FF"><u>doewatch@onelist.c=
om</font></u><font size=3D2> | </font><a href=3D"http://members.aol.com/d=
oewatch" eudora=3D"autourl"><font size=3D2 color=3D"#0000FF"><u>http://me=
mbers.aol.com/doewatch</a></font></u><font size=3D2> <br>
Downwinders - </font><font size=3D2 color=3D"#0000FF"><u>downwinders@onel=
ist.com</font></u><font size=3D2> | </font><a href=3D"http://downwinders@=
onelist.com/" eudora=3D"autourl"><font size=3D2 color=3D"#0000FF"><u>http=
://[e-mail]</a></font></u><font size=3D2> <br>
EnviroNews - </font><font size=3D2 color=3D"#0000FF"><u>environews@enviro=
link.org</font></u><font size=3D2>|</font><font size=3D2 color=3D"#0000FF=
"><u>http://www.envirolink.org/environews</font></u><font size=3D2> <br>
Planet Ark - <a href=3D"mailto:[e-mail]%7Chttp:%2F%2Fwww.planet=
ark.org%2Fnews%2F" eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:[e-mail]|</a></fon=
t><a href=3D"mailto:[e-mail]%7Chttp:%2F%2Fwww.planetark.org%2Fn=
ews%2F" eudora=3D"autourl"><font size=3D2 color=3D"#0000FF"><u>http://www=
.planetark.org/news/</a><br>
</font></u><font size=3D2>Radbull (Radiation Bulletin for Activists) - <a=
 href=3D"mailto:[e-mail]" eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:rogerh@e=
nergy-net.org<br>
<br>
</a></font>      Distributed without payment for=
 research and educational <br>
   purposes only, by subscription, and archived for the use of =
all,<br>
             =
in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107.<br>
<br>
<br>
</html>

- --=====================_16115549==_.ALT--


- -
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------------------------------

Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 11:54:09 -0500
From: "Boyle, Francis" <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: (abolition-usa) MOX is dead in U.S.!

Yes, but Richardson and the DOE  are still paying Russia to ship weapons
grade plutonium to Canada for use in a MOX Program there. fab.

Francis A. Boyle
Law Building
504 E. Pennsylvania Avenue
Champaign, Ill. 61820
217-333-7954 (voice)
217-244-1478 (fax)
[e-mail] <mailto:[e-mail]>


- -----Original Message-----
From: Ellen Thomas [mailto:[e-mail]]
Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2000 11:35 AM
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (abolition-usa) MOX is dead in U.S.!


Energy Department Opts Against Reusing Spent Nuclear Fuel

By Cat Lazaroff, Environment News Service, April 12, 2000
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr2000/2000L-04-12-06.html
<http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr2000/2000L-04-12-06.html>

WASHINGTON, DC, April 12, 2000 (ENS) - The Department of Energy has decided
that spent nuclear fuel should be melted down for permanent disposal, rather
than reprocessed for reuse as fuel or other products. The decision, which
environmentalists say will prove safer than reuse of the fuel, is also being
hailed as a victory for nuclear non-proliferation efforts.

Energy Secretary Bill Richardson (All photos courtesy DOE)

The policy was established in a report being issued publicly by the
Department of Energy (DOE) this week. The "Savannah River Site Spent Fuel
Management Final Environmental Impact Statement" evaluates alternatives for
the safe and efficient management of spent nuclear fuel from power plants
that is stored at or scheduled to be received by the DOE's Savannah River
Site in South Carolina.

The DOE had been considering a process in which the spent fuel would be
reprocessed, separating the wastes into highly enriched uranium and a large
volume of liquid radioactive waste. Critics feared the uranium could be used
to build nuclear weapons, hindering U.S. and international moves toward
disarmament and nonproliferation. In addition, the disposal of radioactive
liquid waste is considered more hazardous and difficult than disposal of
solid wastes.

Instead, the DOE is leaning toward melting down the wastes and mixing them
with nonreactive substances, forming metal ingots that the agency says can
be safely stored in permanent repositories. The process also makes the
uranium in the wastes unsuitable for making bombs.

"The melt-and-dilute technology under development at SRS will further our
efforts to reduce the danger from weapons of mass destruction," Richardson
said in a statement. "Also, it will reduce waste generation and provide a
cost effective, long term way to manage aluminum based spent fuel."

The DOE's choice of a new technology which does not reprocess the spent fuel
avoids adding to the stockpile of nuclear weapons material, said the Nuclear
Control Institute (NCI) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

"Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson deserves congratulations for making
sure that this important new policy was actively pursued and approved," said
NCI Executive Director Tom Clements. "Now he must act decisively to make
sure there is an adequate budget to implement the policy and get the job
done."

 Spent fuel rods underwater at a receiving basin for off-site fuels at the
Savannah River Site

 The decision covers highly enriched uranium spent fuels from research
reactors in the U.S. and similar wastes imported from other countries for
disposal. Other forms of spent fuel covered in the Environmental Impact
Statement will be reprocessed, but both NCI and NRDC view the decision on
the highly enriched uranium spent fuel as an essential step in hastening the
end of reprocessing in the U.S. and an important example for other nations.

"This decision sends a positive non-proliferation signal internationally and
is a critical step toward the closing of reprocessing facilities at SRS,"
said NRDC Staff Attorney David Adelman. "These plants were built as an
integral part of fissile material production for weapons during the Cold
War, and they are no longer needed. Long term funding for melt-and-dilute
must still be assured to keep the shutdown of these plants on track."

Of the 68 tonnes of fuel covered in the Environmental Impact Statement,
about 48 tonnes - 60 percent of the mass, 97 percent of the volume of the
wastes - would be subjected to the melt and dilute treatment. The processed
ingots would be destined for eventual shipment to the planned permanent
repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

Melt-and-dilute involves the melting in an oven of the aluminum-clad highly
enriched uranium research reactor spent fuel assemblies, with conversion of
the melted material into low-enriched uranium ingots. In order to
demonstrate the new technology, the DOE plans to melt highly enriched
uranium spent fuel in an oven soon to be installed in the old L-Reactor
building at the Savannah River Site.

The full-scale treatment facility is expected to be operational in the
L-Reactor building at Savannah in fiscal year 2008. L-Reactor was
permanently closed in the late 1980's after decades of plutonium and tritium
production for weapons.

Spent nuclear fuel pools like this hold tons of reactor wastes at Savannah
River Site

DOE's Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, South Carolina, currently
stores a large quantity of foreign and domestic spent fuel in pools and is
scheduled to continue receiving such material from numerous research
reactors around the world until 2009. The United States originally supplied
the bomb-grade uranium fuel to reactors in over 30 countries and numerous
U.S. universities, but after realizing the proliferation risks of such
supply began a program to convert the wastes into forms incapable of being
used for weapons.

DOE's concerted effort to convert research reactors to low enriched uranium
ingots, known as the Reduced Enrichment in Research and Test Reactors
(RERTR), has proved to be one of the U.S. government's most successful
non-proliferation initiatives. Under the RERTR program, DOE agreed to accept
spent highly enriched uranium fuel for disposition in the U.S. in order to
reduce risks of its diversion overseas for weapons.

NCI and NRDC praised Secretary Richardson for fulfilling a commitment made
in the 1996 by one of his predecessors, Hazel O'Leary, to develop
non-reprocessing technologies for management of the returning spent fuel for
environmental and non-proliferation reasons.

"We congratulate Secretary Richardson for honoring DOE's earlier commitment
to the American people to pursue non-reprocessing disposal options for this
bomb-grade spent fuel," said Clements. "As the U.S. moves to treat
weapons-grade nuclear material as waste rather than as a valuable commodity
to be introduced into commerce, foreign states will be encouraged to do the
same."

 The H-Canyon corridor at the Savannah River Site - one of the two remaining
DOE reprocessing facilities

 The U.S. terminated commercial reprocessing of spent fuel in 1972 but has
yet to present a firm timetable for closing the two remaining DOE
reprocessing facilities, F- and H-Canyons, both located at the Savannah
River Site.

"From an environmental perspective, the people of South Carolina and Georgia
should welcome this decision by DOE, but they deserve to be presented a
timetable for closure of the dirty and dangerous reprocessing facilities,"
said Clements.

The DOE will issue a record of decision sometime after the end of a 30 day
public comment period beginning Friday. The final Environmental Impact
Statement will be published in the Federal Register on Friday.

     ___________________________________________________

NucNews Archives: http://prop1.org/nucnews/briefslv.htm
<http://prop1.org/nucnews/briefslv.htm>
Today's Newspapers: http://prop1.org/nucnews/links.htm
<http://prop1.org/nucnews/links.htm>
Submit Letter/Notice/Article: mailto:[e-mail]
<mailto:[e-mail]>  (NucNews-Editor)
About NucNews: http://prop1.org/nucnews/nucnews.htm
<http://prop1.org/nucnews/nucnews.htm>
E-Mail Archive: http://www.onelist.com/archive/NucNews
<http://www.onelist.com/archive/NucNews>
Subscribe:  mailto:[e-mail] <mailto:[e-mail]>
(NucNews-Subscribe)

Here are excellent e-mail news resources (free, by subscription, for
educational purposes, in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107.):

DOE Watch - [e-mail] |  <http://members.aol.com/doewatch>
http://members.aol.com/doewatch
Downwinders - [e-mail] |  <http://[e-mail]/>
http://[e-mail]
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Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 15:30:16 -0400
From: Hisham Zerriffi <[e-mail]>
Subject: (abolition-usa) MOX is NOT dead in U.S.!

MOX is not dead!!!!  These are two entirely separate programs.  One is
dealing with spent reactor fuel from research reactors and the other is
dealing with plutonium from weapons.  This decision not to reprocess the
spent research reactor fuel containing highly enriched URANIUM has nothing
to do with whether surplus weapons PLUTONIUM is used in a reactor or not.
This is not a decision to forgo MOX (a mixture of uranium and plutonium
fuel) in US reactors or to forego MOX in Russian reactors.  Please do not
lead people to think that the efforts to change the direction of the
disposition program can be slackened.

Hisham Zerriffi
Senior Scientist
p.s. One more point of clarification.  The DOE is paying for a test of
Russian plutonium in CANDU reactors in Canada.  The program is nowhere near
the stage of making a decision to proceed with full scale MOX use in
Canada.  This is not to minimize the implications and impact of the Russian
and American Pu tests in Canada (FYI, I grew up mostly in Canada and am
outraged at their actions), I think it important to be absolutely clear as
to what is going on or we risk doing a disservice to ourselves.

At 11:54 AM 4/13/2000 -0500, Boyle, Francis wrote:
>Yes, but Richardson and the DOE  are still paying Russia to ship weapons
>grade plutonium to Canada for use in a MOX Program there. fab.
>
>Francis A. Boyle
>Law Building
>504 E. Pennsylvania Avenue
>Champaign, Ill. 61820
>217-333-7954 (voice)
>217-244-1478 (fax)
>[e-mail] <mailto:[e-mail]>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Ellen Thomas [mailto:[e-mail]]
>Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2000 11:35 AM
>To: [e-mail]
>Subject: (abolition-usa) MOX is dead in U.S.!
>
>
>Energy Department Opts Against Reusing Spent Nuclear Fuel
>
>By Cat Lazaroff, Environment News Service, April 12, 2000
>http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr2000/2000L-04-12-06.html
><http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr2000/2000L-04-12-06.html>
>
>WASHINGTON, DC, April 12, 2000 (ENS) - The Department of Energy has decided
>that spent nuclear fuel should be melted down for permanent disposal, rather
>than reprocessed for reuse as fuel or other products. The decision, which
>environmentalists say will prove safer than reuse of the fuel, is also being
>hailed as a victory for nuclear non-proliferation efforts.
>
>Energy Secretary Bill Richardson (All photos courtesy DOE)
>
>The policy was established in a report being issued publicly by the
>Department of Energy (DOE) this week. The "Savannah River Site Spent Fuel
>Management Final Environmental Impact Statement" evaluates alternatives for
>the safe and efficient management of spent nuclear fuel from power plants
>that is stored at or scheduled to be received by the DOE's Savannah River
>Site in South Carolina.
>
>The DOE had been considering a process in which the spent fuel would be
>reprocessed, separating the wastes into highly enriched uranium and a large
>volume of liquid radioactive waste. Critics feared the uranium could be used
>to build nuclear weapons, hindering U.S. and international moves toward
>disarmament and nonproliferation. In addition, the disposal of radioactive
>liquid waste is considered more hazardous and difficult than disposal of
>solid wastes.
>
>Instead, the DOE is leaning toward melting down the wastes and mixing them
>with nonreactive substances, forming metal ingots that the agency says can
>be safely stored in permanent repositories. The process also makes the
>uranium in the wastes unsuitable for making bombs.
>
>"The melt-and-dilute technology under development at SRS will further our
>efforts to reduce the danger from weapons of mass destruction," Richardson
>said in a statement. "Also, it will reduce waste generation and provide a
>cost effective, long term way to manage aluminum based spent fuel."
>
>The DOE's choice of a new technology which does not reprocess the spent fuel
>avoids adding to the stockpile of nuclear weapons material, said the Nuclear
>Control Institute (NCI) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
>
>"Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson deserves congratulations for making
>sure that this important new policy was actively pursued and approved," said
>NCI Executive Director Tom Clements. "Now he must act decisively to make
>sure there is an adequate budget to implement the policy and get the job
>done."
>
> Spent fuel rods underwater at a receiving basin for off-site fuels at the
>Savannah River Site
>
> The decision covers highly enriched uranium spent fuels from research
>reactors in the U.S. and similar wastes imported from other countries for
>disposal. Other forms of spent fuel covered in the Environmental Impact
>Statement will be reprocessed, but both NCI and NRDC view the decision on
>the highly enriched uranium spent fuel as an essential step in hastening the
>end of reprocessing in the U.S. and an important example for other nations.
>
>"This decision sends a positive non-proliferation signal internationally and
>is a critical step toward the closing of reprocessing facilities at SRS,"
>said NRDC Staff Attorney David Adelman. "These plants were built as an
>integral part of fissile material production for weapons during the Cold
>War, and they are no longer needed. Long term funding for melt-and-dilute
>must still be assured to keep the shutdown of these plants on track."
>
>Of the 68 tonnes of fuel covered in the Environmental Impact Statement,
>about 48 tonnes - 60 percent of the mass, 97 percent of the volume of the
>wastes - would be subjected to the melt and dilute treatment. The processed
>ingots would be destined for eventual shipment to the planned permanent
>repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.
>
>Melt-and-dilute involves the melting in an oven of the aluminum-clad highly
>enriched uranium research reactor spent fuel assemblies, with conversion of
>the melted material into low-enriched uranium ingots. In order to
>demonstrate the new technology, the DOE plans to melt highly enriched
>uranium spent fuel in an oven soon to be installed in the old L-Reactor
>building at the Savannah River Site.
>
>The full-scale treatment facility is expected to be operational in the
>L-Reactor building at Savannah in fiscal year 2008. L-Reactor was
>permanently closed in the late 1980's after decades of plutonium and tritium
>production for weapons.
>
>Spent nuclear fuel pools like this hold tons of reactor wastes at Savannah
>River Site
>
>DOE's Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, South Carolina, currently
>stores a large quantity of foreign and domestic spent fuel in pools and is
>scheduled to continue receiving such material from numerous research
>reactors around the world until 2009. The United States originally supplied
>the bomb-grade uranium fuel to reactors in over 30 countries and numerous
>U.S. universities, but after realizing the proliferation risks of such
>supply began a program to convert the wastes into forms incapable of being
>used for weapons.
>
>DOE's concerted effort to convert research reactors to low enriched uranium
>ingots, known as the Reduced Enrichment in Research and Test Reactors
>(RERTR), has proved to be one of the U.S. government's most successful
>non-proliferation initiatives. Under the RERTR program, DOE agreed to accept
>spent highly enriched uranium fuel for disposition in the U.S. in order to
>reduce risks of its diversion overseas for weapons.
>
>NCI and NRDC praised Secretary Richardson for fulfilling a commitment made
>in the 1996 by one of his predecessors, Hazel O'Leary, to develop
>non-reprocessing technologies for management of the returning spent fuel for
>environmental and non-proliferation reasons.
>
>"We congratulate Secretary Richardson for honoring DOE's earlier commitment
>to the American people to pursue non-reprocessing disposal options for this
>bomb-grade spent fuel," said Clements. "As the U.S. moves to treat
>weapons-grade nuclear material as waste rather than as a valuable commodity
>to be introduced into commerce, foreign states will be encouraged to do the
>same."
>
> The H-Canyon corridor at the Savannah River Site - one of the two remaining
>DOE reprocessing facilities
>
> The U.S. terminated commercial reprocessing of spent fuel in 1972 but has
>yet to present a firm timetable for closing the two remaining DOE
>reprocessing facilities, F- and H-Canyons, both located at the Savannah
>River Site.
>
>"From an environmental perspective, the people of South Carolina and Georgia
>should welcome this decision by DOE, but they deserve to be presented a
>timetable for closure of the dirty and dangerous reprocessing facilities,"
>said Clements.
>
>The DOE will issue a record of decision sometime after the end of a 30 day
>public comment period beginning Friday. The final Environmental Impact
>Statement will be published in the Federal Register on Friday.
>
>     ___________________________________________________
>
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*****************************************************************
Hisham Zerriffi
Senior Scientist
Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER)
6935 Laurel Ave. Suite 204, Takoma Park, MD  20912
Phone: [phone]       Fax:   [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]    Web:    http://www.ieer.org
*****************************************************************

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