“The U.S. has no stable, coherent nuclear fuel cycle policy,” wrote ANS President Hash Hashemian and ANS Executive Director/ CEO Craig Piercy. “The federal government’s protracted failure to fulfill its statutory and contractual obligations in this area stands in sharp contrast to other nations that are moving forward while the U.S. stands still.”
“ANS applauds the Administration for addressing issues that have been neglected for too long,” the letter continued.
The letter divides its recommendations into two broad categories: (i) general programmatic recommendations and (ii) specific aspects of an integrated nuclear fuel cycle back end program.
In its general recommendations on program management and policy, ANS advises the Administration to:
- Re-establish the DOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) to carry out federal government obligations related to used nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.
- Explore demonstration projects and new approaches on a small, achievable scale that offer practical, cost-effective solutions for the nuclear fuel cycle.
- Build a sustainable, nonpartisan program that can continue across multiple presidential administrations.
- Acknowledge and address nonproliferation considerations with appropriate rigor, with special focus on continued U.S. engagement and leadership in supporting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and enforcing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).
- Develop proposals and engage with Congress on an up-to-date nuclear waste policy.
In its specific recommendations on aspects of an integrated nuclear fuel cycle back end program, ANS advises the Administration to:
- Revise the 2008 DOE report DOE/RW-0595 and update standards of 40 CFR Part 191 in order to open the door for new deep geologic repository options.
- Pursue consolidated interim storage of commercial used nuclear fuel.
- Explore fuel recycling through public-private demonstration projects to reduce uncertainties, evaluate new technologies, and assess market fit.
“These recommendations are generally consistent with other stakeholder organizations that have, like ANS, been engaged on these issues for decades,” wrote Hashemian and Piercy.
ANS’s letter is intended to give guidance on a forthcoming report to the president from the secretaries of energy, defense, and transportation, along with the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). That report will include national policy recommendations on the storage, reprocessing, and disposal of used nuclear fuel and high-level waste from the nuclear energy industry. While the ANS letter does not address every aspect of the forthcoming 240 Day Report, it highlights key priorities related to the executive order and the broader need for a comprehensive national policy on the nuclear fuel cycle.
ANS previously detailed the essential elements of a U.S. fuel recycling in ANS Position Statement #3, “Management of the Nation’s Used Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Waste.”
“These recommendations are informed by the experience and insights of ANS members who are scientists, engineers, executives, and communicators with expertise in used nuclear fuel management, reprocessing and re-use of nuclear materials, and waste disposal,” said Hashemian and Piercy in the joint letter.
“A leap into spent fuel recycling should not be taken lightly. Successful recycling requires effective integration with the entire nuclear fuel cycle.”
Read the full letter at https://www.ans.org/policy/letters/.
About the American Nuclear Society (ANS):
Established in 1954, the American Nuclear Society (ANS) is an international professional organization of engineers, scientists, technologists, teachers, and healthcare providers devoted to the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology. Its more than 11,000 members represent government, academia, research laboratories, medical facilities, and private industry. ANS's mission is to advance, foster, and spur the development and application of nuclear science, engineering, and technology for the benefit of humanity.
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Media Contact:
Andrew Smith, Director of Communications
(202) 996-0474 | media@ans.org
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