Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2004 International RERTR Meeting

EXTENDING THE FOREIGN SPENT FUEL ACCEPTANCE PROGRAM: POLICY AND IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES

EDWIN S. LYMAN
Senior Scientist
Global Security Program Union of Concerned Scientists
1707 H St, NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20006 USA

ABSTRACT
 

The May 2006 expiration date of the Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel (FRR SNF) Acceptance Program is fast approaching. In April 2004, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham instructed the Energy Department to “initiate actions necessary to extend …. the fuel acceptance deadline.” However, extending the deadline may not be a simple task. The limits on the original program resulted from a delicate negotiation among many stakeholders. Any proposal to increase the duration and scope of the program will have to be considered in the context of DOE’s failure since 1996 to develop viable treatment, packaging and long-term disposal options for FRR SNF. It is also unclear whether accepting additional low-enriched uranium FRR SNF can be justified on security grounds. This paper will propose criteria for acceptance of spent fuel under an extension that are intended to minimize controversy and ensure consistency with a threat-based prioritization of homeland security expenditures.

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