Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
1999 International RERTR Meeting

MOVING INTO THE 21ST CENTURY –
THE UNITED STATES’ RESEARCH REACTOR SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL ACCEPTANCE PROGRAM

by

David G. Huizenga, United States Department of Energy

Tracy P. Mustin, United States Department of Energy

Elizabeth C. Saris, Science Applications International Corporation

Jill E. Reilly, Science Applications International Corporation

22nd International Meeting
on Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) 

October 3-8, 1999
Budapest, Hungary

ABSTRACT

Since 1996, when the United States Department of Energy and the Department of State jointly adopted the Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation Policy Concerning Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel, twelve shipments totaling 2,985 MTR and TRIGA spent nuclear fuel assemblies from research reactors around the world have been accepted into the United States.  These shipments have contained approximately 1.7 metric tons of HEU and 0.6 metric tons of LEU.  Foreign research reactor operators played a significant role in this success. 

A new milestone in the acceptance program occurred during the summer of 1999 with the arrival of TRIGA spent nuclear fuel from Europe through the Charleston Naval Weapons Station via the Savannah River Site to the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.  This shipment consisted of five casks of TRIGA spent nuclear fuel from research reactors in Germany, Italy, Slovenia, and Romania.  These casks were transported by truck approximately 2,400 miles across the United States (one cask packaged in an ISO container per truck).  Drawing upon lessons learned in previous shipments, significant technical, legal, and political challenges were addressed to complete this cross-country shipment.  Other program activities since the last RERTR meeting have included: formulation of a methodology to determine the quantity of spent nuclear fuel in a damaged condition that may be transported in a particular cask (containment analysis for transportation casks); publication of clarification of the fee policy; and continued planning for the outyears of the acceptance policy including review of reactors and eligible material quantities.  The United States Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Acceptance Program continues to demonstrate success due to the continuing commitment between the United States and the research reactor community to make this program work.  We strongly encourage all eligible research reactors to decide as soon as possible to participate in the program.  As we move into the 21st century we will continue to work together to eliminate the use of highly enriched uranium in civil commerce and support our mutual nonproliferation objectives.

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