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Dear Secretary Richardson,
During our meetings this year, I have given you materials that
have been scientifically validated in Russia in recent decades
on various aspects of the strategy for the development of nuclear
power and the disposition of radioactive waste.
As follows from those materials and as you probably remember,
nuclear power is being developed in Russia using a closed fuel
cycle. Fuel elements used in VVER reactors and nuclear submarines
are already being reprocessed for purposes of subsequent fabrication
of fuel for RBMK reactors. The next important step is to bring
fast reactors, reactors already in operation in Russia as well
as those slated to be build, into the closed fuel cycle.
Since the United States has not yet made a similar decision,
we understand the difficulties that you face in connection with
the problem of disposing spent fuel from U.S. nuclear power plants.
We refer particularly to the suits against the Department of Energy
that have been reported in the press in connection with unfinished
work on the construction of long-term storage facilities for such
fuel, and the impossibility of its timely removal from temporary
storage facilities located at U.S. nuclear power plant sites.
We understand that the issue is not simple and requires serious
study and unconventional approaches. Therefore, given the search
for ways to develop mutual relations between United States and
Russia including in the field of nuclear power, it seems to us
that it would be advisable to examine the question of possible
transfer, on a commercial basis, of spent fuel from U.S. nuclear
power plants to Russia for its long-term storage and subsequent
reprocessing at RF Minatom enterprises.
We could examine different versions for implementing that approach,
both with and without return of highly active reprocessing products
to the United States. The latter possibility is based on the fact
that with plans for the use of the closed fuel cycle and transmutation
of long-lived isotopes in fast reactors in Russia, the radioactive
waste could be recycled to the earth's crust with the radiation
balance of the Earth preserved and without any additional burden
placed on the environment.
We feel that a joint resolution of this issue would make a positive
contribution to the further development of relations between our
countries.
Minister Ye. O. Adamov
(signed)
See also:
Nuclear Waste
Bill
www.bellona.no
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