ML20033C417
| ML20033C417 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 10/29/1981 |
| From: | Palladino N NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Davis W ENERGY, DEPT. OF |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8112030145 | |
| Download: ML20033C417 (2) | |
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'g UNITED STATES o
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION D
j WASHINGTON, J. C. 20555 k, * *.,
- sd October 29, 1981 CHAIRMAN The Honorable W. Kenneth Davis Deputy Secretary U. S. Department of Energy Washington, D.
C.
20585
Dear Mr. Davis:
The Commission has just learned that a budgetary decision has been made by DOE that would, in effect, terminate the Reduced Enrichment Research 'and Test Reactor (RERTR) Program in FY 1982.
As described in our recent letter to Congress (enclosed), the Commission strongly supports this program. At the behest of the U.
S.,
some 35 nations are participating in this program which seeks to ad-vance the key U. S. non-proliferation objec-tive of developing proliferation resistant fuels and fuel cycles.
It appears that termination of the RERTR program at this time would prevent the documentation of irradiation performance of the current technology LEU-fuels applicable to conversion of research reactors having power levels below
,2MW.
Termination would also preclude needed development and demonstration of commercial fabrication technology for and irradiation performance of the advance technology LEU-fuels which should be able to meet the needs of nearly all the medium and high power research and test reactors in the 1980's.
If the program were terminated, encouraging results i
of the research and development in this area, and a large part of the millions of dollars expended over the past four years by both the U. S. and our allies would have been wasted.
This would not only be a technical and financial waste, but it would also serve to erode our allies' confidence in the U. S. as a reliable supplier of nuclear material.
Without continued U. S. development of LEU fuel alternatives, foreign research reactor operators would have no alternative but to continue to utilize high enrichment uranium.
This could have an undesirable impact on the Commission's ability to make a finding that such exports of HEU are not inimical to the common defense and security of the U. S.
Relevant also to your consideration of this matter is, of course, the commitment made in your recent speech before the IAEA 8112030145 811029" PDR COMMS NRCC CORRESPONDENCE PDR
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General Conference in which you stated "[W]e also intend to continue to work with others in substituting LEU for HEU in the fueling of research reactors and to continue to work for measures to enhance the security of international trans-portation of weapons usable nuclear materials."
DOE's termination of the RERTR program could undermine both the credibility of U. S. policy in -the international nuclear community and the potential for future foreign cooperation and support of other nuclear technical initiatives which the U.
S. might wish to propose.
This applies particularly to those countries which have made major commitments to this program as a result of U. S. pressure.
Commissioner Ahearne agrees that the decision to terminate support of RERTR should be reviewed and reversed.
He believes DOE's termination of the RERTR program could undermine both the credibility of U. S. policy in the international nuclear community and the potential for future foreign cooperation and support of other nuclear technical initiatives which the U.
S. might wish to propose.
However, he does not agree with the Commission's position that this properly affects findings required by the NNPA for exports.
As a general matter he would not penalize other countries because the U.
S.
f ailed to ful fill its commitments.
The Commission believes that reversal of this decision is urgently required and hopes that you give it your personal attention.
Sincerely,
& u' Nunzio ladino Enclosure May 12, 1981 ltr to Representative Don Fuqua cc:
The Honorable Richard T. Kennedy Under Secretary of State for Management The Honorable Eugene Rostow Director Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
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UNITED STATES I
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 M Trg *N, 8
Q CRf May 12,1981 CHAIRMAN The Honorable Don Fuqua Chairman
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Comittee on Science and Technology United States House of Representatives Washington, D. C.
20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The Department of Energy, along with the Department of State and the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, has for some time supported and Reduced-Enrichment in Research and Test Reactors (RERTR)provided funding for the Program.
The NRC also has supported and monitored this program and has a strong interest in its timely completion.
As you know, this program was undertaken to facilitate a significant reduction in US-supplied inventories at highly-enriched _ uranium (HEU) at dispersed sites of research and test reactors abroad.
Reducing the quar.tities of weapons-grade enriched uranium in circulation will contribute significantly to the reduction of worldwide safeguards and proliferation concerns.
.The program includes a number of joint activities designed to demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing medium-enriched (MEU 45%) and low-enriched (LEU s 19.85%)
fuels in such reactors.
Operators of research reactors in a number of foreign nations have agreed to participate in joint analytical studies and/or experimental verification activities in support of this U.S. nonproliferation initiative.
Since conversion to LEU fuels would be most effective, the potential efficacy of such fuels for the majority of research reactor applications should be established promptly.
It has come to the Comission's :ttention that the budget allocations for this program may be reduced to levels which may preclude timely achievement of program
{
i objectives.
The resulting deferral could undermine both the credibility of U.S.
policy in the international nuclear community and the potential for future foreign cooperation and support of other nuclear technical initiatives which the U.S.
might wish to propose. This applies particularly to those countries which have made major commitmentt to this program as a result of U.S. pressure.
We urge your consideration of a funding level for the RERTR Program that would permit its expeditious completion and the benefits of the program in terms of significant reductions in HEU exports from the U.S. to be realized.
Sincerely, O
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q Josegh M. Hendrie
.cc:
Rep. Larry Winn, Jr.
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