Plutonium-burning goes through spin cycle

New report fuels debate over fate of weapons-grade plutonium

By: Darren Stewart

  OTTAWA (CUP) - Environmental activists are shaking their heads at a new scientific report that concludes its safer to import Russian plutonium and burn it as fuel in Canadian reactors than leave it in nuclear warheads.
  Nuclear activists say they wonder why Canada needs to get involved at all and calls the distribution of plutonium for mixed oxide fuel purposes an "unnecessary risk."
  "Our number one concern is that using plutonium in reactors increases its circulation in the civilian economy," said Kristen Ostling, national director of the Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout. "Our biggest concern is with proliferation."
  The 23-page report was released by the Canadian Association of Physicists, a group made up of physicists from all academic and industry backgrounds.
  Dr. Gordon Drake, the organization's president, said the report was not meant to advocate a solution to the plutonium problem.
  "The report restricts itself to not include the broader economic and political issues," he said. "But just to discuss the technical feasibility of using the fuel and coming to the conclusions that there are no technical reasons not to do so."
  Drake said the study was commissioned by his organization after controversy erupted this past year over the testing of fuel at Ontario's Chalk River facility.
  The group's members decided to gauge the risk based on technical matters that might arise from the transportation, testing and use of fuel in Canada. He said it was meant to ensure that the public and government officials were informed on the potential risks of the project.
  "The risk is minimal," said Drake. "We routinely ship around radioactive isotopes for a wide variety of medical and scientific applications."
  Ostling pointed out that plutonium can be separated relatively easily from spent fuel and used for nuclear weapons.
  And she said Canadians shouldn't overlook the report's conclusion that immobilization is just as feasible, cost-efficient and safe a means of disposal as burning. Immobilization involves sealing the plutonium in glass containers and storing it at a secure location. Russian authorities oppose this plan because they hope to turn a profit from selling the plutonium to countries like Canada.
  The debate has been raging for several years after international groups expressed concern that leftover nuclear weapons in Russia could potentially be obtained by rogue states and recycled into active weapons.
  "When you make plutonium an article of commerce, of course it's going to be subject to diversion," said Ostling, who advocates a full immobilization of the fuel and phasing out of all facets of the nuclear industry. She said she thinks the beleaguered nuclear industry in Canada is very interested in tapping into the Russian plutonium market as a means of keeping itself afloat.
  Test burns of fuel are already underway at Chalk River despite protests from environmentalists, aboriginal groups and local municipalities. Full-scale importation of fuel would likely not begin before the end of the decade, after construction of a Russian plant to prepare special bundles to export the fuel.

Darren Stewart is Environment Bureau Chief, Ottawa Bureau, Canadian University Press.

A good source of information on plutonium is the Campaign for a Nuclear Phaseout - www.cnp.ca/issues.

Posted, January 22, 2001

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