Why the US Should Not Reprocess Spent Nuclear Fuel

Because the timetable for disposal of spent fuel set forth in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 will not be met, there are renewed calls for reprocessing of the fuel. The potential advantages for the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel over direct disposal are usually stated as lowering future fuel costs and making disposal of nuclear wastes easier. It is sometimes thought the only reason why we do not recycle plutonium is because of proliferation concerns. However, it is to be remembered that analyses of fuel cycle costs have consistently shown no economic advantage for the US to recycle plutonium from spent fuel and there is little reason to expect this to change in the next several decades. The alleged waste disposal advantages have similarly been found to be dubious despite technical advances. In fact, reprocessing has not been determined to significantly reduce long-term environmental or health risks after disposal. Although the original schedule for disposal cannot be met, there is still no reason to consider reprocessing a viable option.