MOX in jeopardy
Thursday, July 27, 2006
A meeting held Wednesday to clear up questions about the U.S. Department of
Energy’s plans to dispose of excess weapons-grade plutonium raised more
questions than it answered in the mind of one observer.
The meeting, called at the urging of Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., allowed a
House Armed Services Panel to receive more information about the Mixed Oxide
Fuel Program to convert weapons-grade plutonium into fuel for commercial
reactors, but information presented during a meeting raised a few red flags.
Tom Clements, a spokesman for Greenpeace, said he questioned the exact
location of the nation’s plutonium stores and the DOE plan to dispose of it.
“We need reports on where all the plutonium is and how best it can be
disposed of,” Clements said.
Clements said he was alarmed by a figure presented to the committee that
showed America has 50 metric tons of surplus plutonium, which is estimated it
would cost $13.7 billion to dispose of.
In his testimony, National Nuclear Security Administration Administrator
Linton Brooks laid out the challenges facing his department in stabilizing and
storing the Cold War materials.
“The Department of Energy currently has approximately 50 metric tons of
surplus weapons and non-weapons plutonium,” Brooks said. “In addition, the
department has approximately 26 metric tons of surplus highly enriched uranium
(HEU) that does not currently have a disposition path. This highly enriched
uranium is part of a larger inventory of surplus HEU that will either be blended
down for disposition in light water reactors or retained for use in Navy nuclear
propulsion plants. Although this hearing does not cover uranium directly,
finding a disposition path for that HEU is a necessary component of an overall
materials disposition strategy.”
Although the former Soviet Union has announced it does not plan to build a
MOX plant unless it is paid for by other governments, Brooks said DOE is firmly
behind a program to convert 34-metric tons of plutonium into commercial fuel at
the Savannah River Site.
On July 13 America and Russia announced jointly plans for Russia to dispose
of its plutonium by burning it in a nuclear reactor, which creates more
plutonium.
The announcement was a step back from the 2000 accord that called on both
countries to pursue a joint disposition path through MOX to dispose of a total
of 68 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium.
Although the Russian plans have changed, Brooks told the Congressmen America
has not.
“To dispose of our plutonium in the United States, the department will
construct three facilities at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina to
fabricate the plutonium into mixed uranium-plutonium oxide fuel, or MOX fuel: a
MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility, a Pit Disassembly and Conversion Facility, and a
Waste Solidification Building,” Brooks said.
Spratt called for the hearing on MOX after a House Appropriations
subcommittee chaired by Rep. David Hobson, R-Ohio, slashed funding for the
program.
A Senate subcommittee, however has restored the $335 million in funding. The
two budget versions will be discussed during conference committee meetings in
the fall.
Prior to Wednesday’s hearing, members of the South Carolina and Georgia
Congressional Delegations met with Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman to show
their support for MOX and future missions at SRS.
Meeting with Bodman were Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Sen. Jim DeMint,
R-S.C., Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., Rep. Gresham
Barrett, R-S.C., Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., and Rep. Charlie Norwood, R-Ga.
“Future budget certainty for the Site is a great concern for those in the
region,” said Graham. “Every year we are confronted with major budget cuts and
find ourselves fighting for level funding. I felt it was important to bring the
key players in the room to discuss long-term funding strategies for cleanup and
future missions. We had a very productive meeting and I appreciate Secretary
Bodman and (Budget) Director (Rob) Portman’s work in helping move the MOX
program and cleanup efforts forward. We discussed various technical, regulatory,
and funding issues affecting current and future operations of the site. We all
share the same goal of moving forward with the MOX program and continuing our
cleanup efforts in the most efficient, safe, technically sound, and
cost-effective manner possible.”
Barrett, who praised Graham for coordinating the meeting, said a clear
message was sent and received concerning MOX.
“I feel good about the direction we are headed,” Barrett said. “We are all on
the same page as it relates to moving MOX forward and ensuring the cleanup
efforts continue in a way that is both safe and cost-effective.”
While area lawmakers were busy building up the MOX program, Hobson’s efforts
were applauded by a group of environmentalist from a variety of groups.
The letter was signed by leaders of the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability,
Atlanta Physician’s for Social Responsibility, Atlanta Women’s Action for New
Directions, the Carolina Peace Resource Center, Food Not Bombs, Greenpeace
International, Nuclear Watch South, Public Citizen, the South Carolina Chapter
of the Sierra Club, the South Carolina Progressive Network, the Southern
Alliance for Clean Energy, the Coalition to Secure Nuclear Materials, and
Women’s Action for New Directions.
“We applaud the House Appropriations Committee on Energy & Water for
eliminating all funding for the Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility,”
the group wrote. “The House Appropriations Committee’s FY 2007 report duly noted
that, to date, Congress has appropriated $1.37 billion for the domestic MOX
program facilities without any nonproliferation benefit accrued to the U.S.
taxpayer. MOX fuel is a very attractive terrorist target as it contains
high-grade plutonium – a key ingredient in nuclear weapons. Funding the MOX
plutonium fuel facility, which would include transporting this fuel and storing
it at civilian nuclear power plants – is a recipe for disaster.”
Despite criticisms, Brooks urged Congress to continue td fund MOX.
“I am confident that continuing the department’s plan to dispose of our
surplus plutonium by irradiating it as MOX fuel is the right thing to do,”
Brooks said in concluding his remarks.
Contact Philip Lord at plord@aikenstandard.com
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