BNFL

The reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel is a complex and environmentally dangerous practice of essentially recycling spent nuclear fuel (SNF) to make new nuclear fuel. Reprocessing is part of a process known as the closed nuclear fuel cycle―employed by Russia, the UK and France―whereby spent uranium fuel is separated into its still useful constituent elements, mainly uranium and plutonium. Yet the chemicals involved and the amount of other useless radioactive elements left over after reprocessing―as witness the 2005 leak at UK’s Thorp facility, and the overall radioactive contamination of the Mayak Chemical Combine region of Russia―present yet more storage, as well as proliferation problems. The United States quite reprocessing under the administration of President Jimmy Carter for just these reasons. But new talk in Washington suggests that US reprocessed may ramp up again.