International fuel bank act gets approval

The US House Committee on Foreign Affairsapproved a bill on 23 May which authorises $50 million for the creationof an independent international nuclear fuel bank to be overseen by theInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The International Nuclear Fuel for Peace and Nonproliferation Actwas co-sponsored by committee chairman Tom Lantos and ranking memberIleana Ros-Lehtinen. The bank would guarantee reactor fuel to countriesmaintaining good non-proliferation records and not possessing uraniumenrichment and used nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities. The fundingwould match $50 million offered by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)for the same purposes. These funds, however, would only be availablefor two years, pending another $50 million pledged from other sources."Those who truly seek to develop nuclear power solely for peacefulmeans will jump at the chance to take part in this fuel bank," saidLantos. Ros-Lehtinen said: "Given that the technology for makingnuclear material for civilian reactors and for bombs is essentially thesame, it is too great a burden, and too high a risk, for the world tohave to disprove claims by suspect governments that this technology isbeing used exclusively for civilian use."

Further information

International Atomic Energy Agency
Nuclear Threat Initiative

WNA's Safeguards to Prevent Nuclear Proliferation information paper