Political, Economic, and Social Impediments to the Elimination of HEU in the Civilian Nuclear Sector

Experts have long recognized that highly enriched uranium (HEU) would be the nuclear material of choice for terrorists, since HEU is the easiest material to use in manufacturing an improvised nuclear explosive device. HEU at civilian facilities is particularly vulnerable due to often inadequate MPC&A practices. Since the 1970s, the international community has taken incremental steps to reduce the civilian use of HEU. Recent measures have assumed an increasingly broad international character, such as the 2004 Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GRTI), and a working paper submitted to the 2005 NPT Review Conference by Norway and other states. While the elimination of HEU in the civilian nuclear sector now appears to be a realistic goal, some underappreciated political, economic, and social impediments to the global elimination of the civilian use of HEU still remain. This presentation examines these impediments, discusses possible inducements to overcome them, and presents policy recommendations for promoting the de-legitimization of the civilian use of HEU.