Overview of U.S.-Russian Plutonium Disposition Program

Under a 2000 U.S.-Russia Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement, each country is obligated to dispose of at least 34 metric tons of surplus weapon-grade plutonium. Both countries are planning to dispose of their surplus plutonium by irradiating it as mixed oxide (MOX) fuel in nuclear reactors—once the plutonium has been irradiated as MOX fuel in a nuclear reactor, it is rendered non-weapon-usable and meets the “spent fuel standard” as defined by the National Academy of Sciences. To fulfill the U.S. commitment, DOE/NNSA is building a Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility and a Waste Solidification Building (WSB) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina. DOE/NNSA also is evaluating options of how to most effectively convert weapon-grade plutonium into oxide form consistent with the MOX schedule and specifications. Russia is planning to dispose of its surplus plutonium in its BN-600 and BN-800 fast reactors with certain nonproliferation conditions. The United States and Russia are negotiating amendments to the 2000 Agreement to reflect the current plans for each country. The fissile materials disposition effort is among the most tangible examples of the U.S. commitment to fulfill its obligation to draw down its nuclear arsenal in a transparent and irreversible manner, consistent with Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.