Managing Nuclear Waste: The Illogic of Reprocessing

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Frank von Hippel, Professor of Public and International Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University

Date: Friday, November 9, 2007
Length: 1 hour, 25 minutes
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Dr. Frank von Hippel discussed the pros and cons of the proposed U.S. Department of Energy plan to process nuclear waste to separate and reuse plutonium. He explained that reprocessing, in addition to costing two to ten times more than on-site storage, creates a security risk. Reprocessed plutonium is compact and transportable, making it vulnerable to theft by terrorists or potentially even non-nuclear states looking to develop nuclear weapons programs. Therefore, Dr. von Hippel argued, the United States should not alter its policy of the previous three decades of opposing nuclear reprocessing until better safety standards are in place.

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