U.S. Nuclear Body Weighs Proliferation Appraisals for Facility Licensing

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http://www.fissilematerials.org/blog/2011/01/reprocessing_in_china_sep.html

U.S. Nuclear Body Weighs Proliferation Appraisals for Facility Licensing
Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011

By Elaine M. Grossman

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has agreed to consider requiring companies that seek a domestic license for a civil nuclear facility to evaluate any potential proliferation risks (see GSN, Aug. 2, 2010).

The agency late last month announced it would study an American Physical Society petition that would make a "Nuclear Proliferation Assessment" a standard feature of the permit process. However, the commission is not expected to decide on the matter anytime soon.

"If our rule were adopted by the NRC, then the next step would be that information would be provided to NRC, and NRC would evaluate it as part of the license process," Francis Slakey, a Georgetown University physicist who directs APS public affairs, said yesterday in an interview. Without such a rule, "NRC is not obligated to do anything," he said.

Founded in 1899, the American Physical Society has voiced support for nuclear power but emphasizes that atomic materials must be "deployed in a safe, secure and responsible manner." The group says it represents more than 48,000 scientists across the nation.

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