RECOVERING U.S.-ORIGIN HEU FROM FOREIGN RESEARCH FACILITIES

The Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation Policy Concerning Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel, adopted by The United States Department of Energy (DOE), in consultation with the Department of State (DOS) in May 1996, has been extended to expire May 12, 2016, providing an additional 10 years to return fuel to the U. S. This paper provides a brief update on the program, now transitioned to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), and discusses program initiatives and future activities. The goal of the program continues to be recovery of nuclear materials, which could otherwise be used in weapons, while assisting other countries to enjoy the benefits of nuclear technology. GTRI is seeking feedback from research reactor (RR) operators to help us understand ways to include eligible RRs who have not yet participated in the program.