Proliferation Issues and Fuel Cycles Phillip Finck Associate Laboratory Director for Nuclear Science and Technology September 30, 2009

2 On the First Hand… Nuclear energy is a critical component of an integrated greenhouse gas emission solution Nuclear energy is again expanding worldwide – More and different types of materials in more locations – New technologies and new strategies in more locations – Recent examples demonstrate the need for caution

3 On the Other Hand… President Obama has stated that while we “must harness the power of nuclear energy on behalf of our efforts to combat climate change, and to advance opportunity for all people … [nuclear terrorism] is the most immediate and extreme threat to global security.” (Prague, April 5, 2009). No technical silver bullet Risk is very hard (maybe impossible) to measure, or even compare for a single technology or an integrated system Current international regimes are strong but limited

4 Lessons Learned The old approach (i.e., technology push, a posteriori fixes) probably won’t be sufficient Need to protect materials, facilities, sensitive technologies, and expertise through integrated development of fuel cycle options.

5 Some Technical Possibilities Safeguards by Design More accurate, faster, and better integrated measurement techniques Co-location of facilities Unseparated materials Very long-lived fuels (and cores) Reinforced international regimes Novel international regimes

6 Integrated Program Composed of Four Key Elements Frameworks and Institutions Safeguards and Security Technologies and Systems Nuclear energy technologies and systems Understanding, limiting and managing risks for integrated fuel cycle options Source: S. Scott, Los Alamos National Laboratory (unclassified presentation)