U.S., Russia Sign Mox Agreement

Sep 19 - Augusta Chronicle, The

A liability disagreement between the U.S. and Russia that at one time delayed the construction of a South Carolina plant to make fuel for nuclear reactors was formally ironed out Friday, the Department of Energy said.

The signing of a liability agreement by both countries clears a legal hurdle for the U.S. and Russia to build plants that would dispose of 68 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium by turning it into a fuel for commercial power reactors.

Federal officials have almost finished preparing the site at Savannah River Site near Aiken for construction of a mixed-oxide fuel plant, but officials are waiting until the 2007 federal budget is passed to begin building.

Funding for the program was questioned earlier this year, and U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, R-S.C., has said he expects a spirited debate on MOX funding.

"This agreement demonstrates that both countries continue to be committed to this important nonproliferation program, which will dispose of enough weapons-grade plutonium for more than 16,000 nuclear weapons," Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said in a news release. "It's an important part of the Bush administration's effort to keep nuclear material out of the hands of terrorists."

Some environmental and nuclear nonproliferation groups have opposed the MOX program, saying that it's dangerous and that they have security concerns. The groups argue the weapons-grade plutonium should be encased in glass and buried.