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THE STATUS OF THE US ACCELERATOR TRANSMUTATION OF WASTE PROGRAMME<br />

James C. Bresee 1 , James J. Laidler 2<br />

1<br />

United States Department of <strong>Energy</strong><br />

1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585, USA<br />

2<br />

Argonne National Laboratory (East)<br />

9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA<br />

Abstract<br />

Since the last biannual meeting on partitioning and transmutation, the US accelerator transmutation<br />

of waste (ATW) programme has changed significantly. Two years ago, the only effort was the<br />

preparation of a research plan for developing ATW technology. Today, a significant research effort<br />

in underway, and the US is seeking opportunities to collaborate with other national programmes.<br />

Although the US fuel cycle is still based on a “once-through” process, with civilian spent fuel being<br />

stored for direct disposal in a geologic repository, the technical feasibility for transmutation is being<br />

investigated as a possible future option. Technetium-99, iodine-129 and neptunium-237 may be<br />

released from a repository over geologic time periods and are the principle radioisotopes for<br />

transmutation studies. Substantial reduction in total fissile materials and generation of useful energy<br />

are also possible benefits of ATW. New test facilities are being considered which may be useful for<br />

future multinational studies.<br />

147

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