CONCERNS WITH REACTORS AND THE BACKEND OF THE FUEL CYCLE

It is a pleasure to be here today to discuss some of the steps that can be taken to revitalize the nuclear option, with emphasis on concerns with reactors and the back end of the fuel cycle. During the past several years we have seen the number of activities that could be identified as strong elements of a bona fide fuel cycle industry diminish. In the United States, fuel suppliers have scrapped plans for reprocessing and mixedoxide fabrication facilities and adopted a wait and see attitude as U.S. government policy has lurched from strongly pronuclear to a mode of reassessment and back to a pronuclear stance. But problems with reprocessing, fuel storage, and the problems of diversion protection remain, both in the U.S. and in other parts of the world.