The new production reactors program

The US Department of Energy is responsible for producing tritium and other nuclear materials to meet defense needs. These quotas are established by the Annual Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Memorandum and approved by the President. Studies by the Department of Energy and other agencies found that long-term requirements for tritium cannot be dependably met with existing facilities. With a strong base of scientific research and broad bipartisan support among government officials, the Department has begun a process leading to the construction of new production reactors in the 1990s. The Secretary of Energy has recommended a preferred strategy: building two reactors, at two different sites, using two different technologies. The Department proposes to build a heavy water reactor at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina, and a modular high-temperature gas-cooled reactor at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory near Idaho Falls, Idaho. As a contingency, the Department also is considering use of light water reactor technology, In particular, a partially completed light water reactor, WNP-1, located on the Hanford Site near Richland Washington, is being considered for use as a new production reactor. Safety is a primary consideration in the design, construction, and operation of new production reactors at any location. The New Production Reactors Program will be required to meet or exceed the standards of the commercial nuclear power plants. In addition, the Department has begun the preparation of an environmental impact statement to assess the potential environmental impacts of the construction and operation of new production reactor capacity. No decision on sites or technologies will be made until that process has been completed