ML20125E602

Comments of Dod Opposing Transnuclear Application to Export 560 Irradiated Nuclear Power Fuel Assemblies from Shoreham Plant to France

ML20125E602
Person / Time
Site:	Shoreham File:Long Island Lighting Company icon.png
Issue date:	12/08/1992
From:	Sokolski H DEFENSE, DEPT. OF
To:	Stratford R STATE, DEPT. OF
References
NUDOCS 9212170147
Download: ML20125E602 (2)

Text

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OFFICE OF 'rHE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE I h

WASHINGTON. D. C. 20301 2400 December 8,1992 Mfa',#.'A Mr. Richard J. K. Stratford Xs/vMad 7dA  !

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Deputy Assistant Secretary Nuclear Energy & Energy Technology Affairs N/ 4 /697 Department of State 1 Washington, D.C. 20520 1

Dear Mr. Stratford:

1 Your letter of October 26, 1992, responds to Mr. Harold R.

' Denton's request of August 5,1992 for the views of the Executive Branch concerning NRC No. XSNM02702, an application by Transnuclear, Inc. for authorization to export ,

560 irradiated nuclear power reactor fuel assemblies from the Shoreham Nuclear Power Station Unit I to Cogema, France for reprocessing.

the Department of Defense was noted as having concurr your proposed letter when, in fact, it did not. This letter provides the Defense Department's views which differ substantially with those in your letter to the NRC.

If granted, this license would result in the separation of plutonium from a U.S.-licensed reactor at a time when worldwide trends are strongly away from reprocessing and a growing inventory of separated plutonium from both military and civil sources are increasing proliferation concerns.

Although the amount of plutonium involved is small, this case will set a precedent that could encourage other U.S. utilities to seek similar approvals, giving rise to potentially far more significant quantities of separated plutonium.

Of even greater concern to the Departmerit of Defense however, is the unfortunate and extremely damaging signal this approval would send to other countries.

The United States would be declaring that the proliferation risks posed by reprocessing and separated plutonium under international safeguards are acceptably low, view, they are not. in the Defense Department's 090077 9212170147 921200 PDR XPORT XSNM-02702 PDR

2 , . S.,

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1 Indeed, it is the policy of the United States that the i

4 proliferation risks from both reprocessing and enrichment on

' the Korean Peninsula are unacceptable. To prevent these risks.

the United States gained. bilateral agreement that these technologies would not be pursued even under IAEA j Safeguards.

i For the Executive Branch to now endorse reprocessing as an acceptable means to deal with spent fuel could seriously undermine our no reprocessing policy on the i Korean Peninsula. It would also have a deleterious effect on i

achieving our national security objectives by making it more difficult for the United States to oppose reprocessing in other regions of proliferation concern where similar restraint would be desirable.

Finally, approval of this application would foreclose more

economic and proliferation resistant storage options which are available for the disposition of spent reac* fuel. ,

For the reasons set forth above, the Department of I

i Defense believes granting this export license would be* inimical to the common defense and security of the United States."

s.

Sincerely, H D. Sokolski I

Deputy for Non Proliferation Policy i

i 3 CC: T. Hart, DOE i R. DeLaBarre, DOS

, M. Rosenthal, ACDA '

S. Dhir, DOC j

D. Poneman, NSC H. Denton, NRC

-. .__