NRDC

Two other types of dual-use facilities are even more sensitive than those for fuel storage and disposal: enrichment facilities, which process uranium before it is loaded into nuclear power reactors; and reprocessing facilities, which extract plutonium from used fuel after it emerges from reactors. Many schemes have been promoted for either multinational ownership or, at the least, new global rules and regulations to manage these facilities. However, none has yet gained sufficient political traction to move forward. This grant would support work toward a proposed solution that is structured explicitly to appeal to rising nuclear energy powers-such as Brazil, South Korea, and South Africa-and that may be agreeable to both developed and developing countries. Through this project, NRDC staff would explore how desirable, or undesirable, key international constituencies find this proposed approach and would fine-tune it as necessary to help build broader global support.