By Luisa Kenausis, Scoville Fellow For years, construction of the Mixed-Oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication facility at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina has been a thorn in the side of the Department of Energy. The program has been plagued by cost overruns and delayed schedules. The facility, which was originally slated to be constructed […]
Updates: FMWG Member Dr. Alan Kuperman provides update on MOX study
FMWG member Dr. Alan Kuperman from the University of Texas, Austin recently provided an update on his plutonium study. Over the past year, Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Project (NPPP) conducted the first-ever comparative global study of plutonium fuel (MOX) for thermal nuclear power reactors, entitled “Plutonium for Energy?” The group explores the production and use of MOX […]
In the News: FMWG Member Ed Lyman argues new reactor may be unnecessary
FMWG Member Ed Lyman from the Union of Concerned Scientists wrote an article arguing that the Department of Energy’s plan to build a “Versatile Test Reactor” has failed to (a) properly assess the associated costs and (b) ascertain whether there is a legitimate need for this new reactor. The Department of Energy requested $10 million in its Fiscal Year […]
In the News: Matt Bunn, Nick Roth and William Tobey- U.S. Commitment to Preventing Nuclear Terrorism Waning
FMWG Steering Committee Member Matt Bunn, along with Nikolas Roth and William Tobey argue the U.S. government is failing to prioritize nuclear security, despite the administration’s rhetoric. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), “the agency primarily responsible for working with other countries to reduce nuclear terrorism risks, wants to reduce spending for nuclear security programs by […]
International Panel on Fissile Materials: Declaring more U.S. weapon-grade uranium excess could delay the need to build a new national enrichment plant
FMWG partner the International Panel on Fissile Materials (IPFM) outlines the Department of Energy’s new initiative to build and operate a new small-capacity national military uranium enrichment plant could be decades premature. The plan will cost between $3.1 -11.3 billion. Frank von Hippel finds that, “DOE’s proposal to have a new national enrichment plant on […]
