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An Evaluation of the Electrometallurgical Approach for Treatment of Excess Weapons Plutonium (1996) / Chapter Skim
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5 Other Issues and Considerations: Proliferation, Time Line, Cost, and Policy
Pages 27-28

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From page 27...
... Developing technology that effectively extracts the plutonium from mixtures could facilitate decommissioning of former weapons manufacturing facilities and mitigate some of the problems found at these facilities, such as corroding fuel. However, such efficient technology also raises concerns about proliferation; what the United States might use to assist in the cleanup of a contaminated facility such as Rocky Flats could be used by another country to obtain plutonium for a weapons program.
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From page 28...
... process."8 In the absence of this necessary demonstration, the basis for evaluating the electrometallurgical approach as an option for plutonium disposition is unlikely to be available. 6 An Assessment of Continued R&D into an Electrometallurgical Approach for Treating DOE Spent Nuclear Fuel, National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., July 1995.
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Key Terms

  • spent fuel
  • doe spent
  • excess weapons
  • weapons plutonium
  • anl program

  • spent fuels
  • arms control
  • excess plutonium
  • international security
  • electrometallurgical approach

  • purer plutonium
  • facilitate decommissioning
  • national environmental
  • reactor panel
  • handling excess

  • rocky flats
  • panel analysis
  • radioactive impurities
  • activities using
  • major milestones

  • commercial spent
  • suitable scale
  • larger quantities
  • effluent stream
  • potential method

  • weapons program
  • corroding fuel
  • reduction treaty
  • fuel standard
  • plutonium contained


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