Florida Research Reactor Fuel Conversion Completed

A University of Florida nuclear research reactor has been converted to use low-enriched uranium fuel, eliminating the need for using weapon-usable highly enriched uranium, the U.S. Energy Department announced yesterday (see GSN, Oct. 16).

The news followed a similar announcement last week, when the department said a Texas A&M University reactor conversion had been completed.

“Decreasing the use of highly enriched uranium in the United States and around the world is a priority for this administration,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman in a press release.  “Converting this domestic reactor at University of Florida and the one last week at Texas A&M University … further demonstrates our commitment to limiting the spread of nuclear material.”

The Florida site is the second of six U.S. research reactors the Energy Department plans to convert as part of a 2005 agreement with Canada and Mexico to convert reactor fuel.

“Reducing the use of highly enriched uranium around the world makes for good nonproliferation policy and international security,” said Linton Brooks, head the department’s National Nuclear Security Administration, in the release.  “NNSA will continue working with our international partners and with domestic research institutions to convert reactors to low-enriched uranium” (NNSA release, Oct. 18).

The former highly enriched uranium fuel has been shipped to a U.S. storage facility in South Carolina, the Gainesville Sun reported.  The refueled reactor is scheduled to undergo weeks of startup testing, but a university official said he hoped that reactor would resume full operations within two months.

“We’re definitely hoping to have it running again by the end of the semester,” said William Vernetson, director of the university’s nuclear facilities.  “There are students who need to use it for laboratory classes” (Amy Reinink, Gainesville Sun, Oct. 19).

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