Blanket of secrecy
Creators
Description
The public inquiry into the European Demonstration Reprocessing plant (EDRP) at Dounreay finished in November. This is a shortened version of an article prepared for the Labour Party's Scottish council on this issue. The main concern is on the plutonium proliferation risks of EDRP. The purpose of EDRP is to isolate and separate plutonium from spent fuel, ostensibly for future fast reactor fuel. However, there is no absolute confidence that plutonium from EDRP would not find its way into nuclear weapons. The military potential of plutonium is described briefly. There is a plutonium shortfall which the fast breeder (PFR) at Dounreay could supply. There is a lack of openness about the quantity of irradiated radial blanket assemblies stockpiled at Dounreay, some of which the Government may be tempted to use for military purposes. (UK)
Additional details
Additional titles
- Augmented title (English)
- The possible role of Dounreay EDRP in nuclear weapons proliferation.
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- SCRAM J.
- Journal Issue
- no.56
- Series
- SCRAM J.
- CODEN
- SANJE
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United Kingdom
- Country of Input or Organization
- United Kingdom
- INIS RN
- 18045040
- Subject category
- S11: NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; S29: ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; S98: NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION;
- Descriptors DEI
- FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; PFR REACTOR; PLUTONIUM; PROLIFERATION
- Descriptors DEC
- ACTINIDES; BREEDER REACTORS; ELEMENTS; EPITHERMAL REACTORS; FAST REACTORS; FBR TYPE REACTORS; LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS; LMFBR TYPE REACTORS; METALS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; POWER REACTORS; REACTORS; SODIUM COOLED REACTORS; TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS