This book provides a readable and thought-provoking analysis of the issues surrounding nuclear
fuel reprocessing and fast-neutron reactors including discussion of resources economics
radiological risk and resistance to nuclear proliferation. It describes the history and science
behind reprocessing and gives an overview of the status of reprocessing programmes around the
world. It concludes that such programs should be discontinued. While nuclear power is seen by
many as the only realistic solution to the carbon emission problem some national nuclear
establishments have been pursuing development and deployment of sodium-cooled plutonium breeder
reactors and plutonium recycling. Its proponents argue that this system would offer
significant advantages relative to current light water reactor technology in terms of greater
uranium utilization efficiency and that separating out the long-lived plutonium and other
transuranics from spent fuel and fissioning them in fastreactors would greatly reduce the
duration of the toxicity of radioactive waste. However the history of efforts to deploy this
system commercially in a number of countries over the last six decades has been one of economic
and technical failure and in some cases was used to mask clandestine nuclear weapon
development programs. Covering topics of significant public interest including nuclear safety
fuel storage environmental impact and the spectre of nuclear terrorism this book presents a
comprehensive analysis of the issue for nuclear engineers policy analysts government
officials and the general public. Frank von Hippel Jungmin Kang and Masafumi Takubo three
internationally renowned nuclear experts have done a valuable service to the global community
in putting together this book which both historically and comprehensively covers the plutonium
age as we know it today. They articulate in a succinct and clear manner their views on the
dangers of a plutonium economy and advocate a ban on the separation of plutonium for use in the
civilian fuel cycle in view of the high proliferation and nuclear-security risks and lack of
economic justification. (Mohamed ElBaradei Director General International Atomic Energy
Agency (1997-2009) Nobel Peace Prize (2005)) The 1960s dream of a 'plutonium economy' has not
delivered abundant low-cost energy but instead has left the world a radioactive legacy of
nuclear weapons proliferation and the real potential for nuclear terrorism. Kang Takubo and
von Hippel explain with power and clarity what can be done to reduce these dangers. The
governments of the remaining countries whose nuclear research and development establishments
are still pursuing the plutonium dream should pay attention. (Senator Edward Markey a leader
in the US nuclear-disarmament movement as a member of Congress since 1976) The authors have
done an invaluable service by putting together in one place the most coherent analysis of the
risks associated with plutonium and the most compelling argument for ending the practice of
separating plutonium from spent fuel for any purpose. They have given us an easily accessible
history of the evolution of thinking about the nuclear fuel cycle the current realities of
nuclear power around the world and arguably most important a clear alternative path to deal
with the spent fuel arising from nuclear reactors for decades to centuries to come. (Robert
Gallucci Chief US negotiator with North Korea (1994) Dean Georgetown University School of
Foreign Service (1996-2009) President MacArthur Foundation (2009-2014))
