2006 International RERTR Meeting

Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the Meeting

HEU Minimization: The Technical-Political Nexus (*)

Cristina Chuen, Scott Parrish, William C. Potter, and Elena Sokova
Center for Nonproliferation Studies
Monterey Institute of International Studies, 460 Pierce Street, Monterey, CA 93940
- United States

ABSTRACT

For over 25 years, the RERTR program has worked to solve the technical challenges to minimizing the use of HEU in the civilian sector. The results of the Technical Workshop on HEU Minimization held June 17-18, 2006 reflect a broad consensus that conversion of research reactors and radioisotope production to LEU is technically feasible. However, difficulties remain in gaining the political support needed to maintain incentives for conversion, allocate the funding necessary for R&D and conversion work, and accelerate conversion in some key states. These difficulties reflect many policymakers' lack of appreciation of the full extent of the nuclear terror threat posed by HEU and of recent technical progress facilitating conversion. Besides measures to accelerate HEU minimization already being pursued through established mechanisms, this paper explores the potential of supplementary approaches that may help to bridge the current technical-political divide and accelerate the process of HEU minimization globally.

(*) Research for this paper has been supported by grants from the Saga Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The viewpoints expressed here and any shortcomings are the authors' own.

 

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