America moves to limit nuclear fuel

Press, 9 April 1977, Page 1

America moves to limit nuclear fuel

PA Washington In a move to stem supplies of deadly plutonium in the United States, President Carter yesterday halted work on the controversial fast breeder nuclear reactor and outlawed extraction of plutonium from spent reactor fuel. Mr Carter’s request reversed a long-standing Administration policy and cancelled programmes considered vital by the nuclear power industry to stretch uranium reactor fuel supplies. Unlike past Presidents, however, Mr Carter accepted arguments that plutonium—one of the most deadly poisons known to man, and the material from which nuclear bombs can be easily made—offers more risks than benefits. "The benefits of nuclear power are . . . very real and practical,” Mr Carter said. "But a serious risk accompanies worldwide use of nuclear power—the risk that components of the nuclear power process will be turned to provide atomic weapons.” A panel of senators warned Mr Carter yesterday that a few terrorists could build a crude atomic bomb with only stolen nuclear material, unclassi-

fled instructions, and a simple workshop. As well as cutting off construction of a demonstration breeder and banning fuel recycling, Mr Carter announced five other Government actions, including a pledge to urge other nations to follow the American lead. Mr Carter’s action must affect the future of a 82 billion Government breeder reactor construction programme at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and of a private enrichment plant being built by Allied-General at Barnwell, South Carolina. The President said he did not intend to terminate “as such” the Tennessee project, but his suspension of the commercial use of breeders apparently would erase the prime mission for the plant, which is to demonstrate the commercial practicality of the breeder in the late 1980 s. "I w'ould think we would continue with the breeder reactor programme on an experimental basis—research and development —but not move nearly so rapidly toward commercial use.” he said. As for the Barnwell plant, which would take spent uranium fuel from conventional reactors and

extract plutonium from it for recycling as reactor fuel, he said: “The plant

. , . will receive neither Federal encouragement nor funding for its completion as a reprocessing facility.”

Mr Carter said the United States had no desire to stop other nations that already had reprocessing facilities, such as France and Germany, from continuing to use them. But he said he would urge such nations not to sell reprocessing plants to other countries.

Other nations would need to use nuclear power to produce energy, however, and so the United States would try’ to be the fuel supplier to the world, Mr Carter said. “We will increase United States production capacity for enriched uranium to provide adequate and timely supply of nuclear fuels.” he said. The United States would continue its own embargo on the export of equipment or technology that could be used for uranium enrichment or chemical reprocessing of spent fuel, Mr Carter said.

Report on bomb threat. Page 8