Arius Association

The Arius Association is the leading organization working on the problem of unsecured spent nuclear fuel worldwide, serving as advisor to the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) on such issues. Experts have long agreed that placing radioactive nuclear spent fuel in a multilateral facility would decrease the likelihood that the fuel would pose safety risks or could be stolen by terrorists, but the political will to create such a facility has so far been lacking. A renewal of funding would allow Arius to expand its successful work in Europe to move the debate about multilateral nuclear fuel disposal facilities out of the realm of theory and into the planning stage. In the next two years, Arius plans to collaborate with the International Atomic Energy Association and nuclear energy leaders to create formal multinational groups working on the subject of fuel disposal facilities in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. These organizations will then be the platforms from which countries will be able to negotiate to build shared fuel disposal facilities with technical and policy support from the IAEA.

In the long run, one of the best ways to maintain reliance on nuclear energy while also reducing its threat to global security would be to establish multinational ownership over all "dual-use" facilities, which handle nuclear materials that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. This includes any facility that stores or disposes of nuclear fuel used in nuclear power reactors. With support from the Hewlett Foundation, Arius has launched an official multinational working group in Europe to develop such a multinational facility for use by smaller European countries. This grant, to be matched by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, would help Arius explore whether Middle Eastern or Southeast Asian countries that are beginning to develop nuclear power programs are interested in establishing similar official working groups.