Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces a nuclear cooperation project with the United States to further secure inventories of spent highly enriched uranium

April 12, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that Canada and the U.S. will work together to return spent inventories of highly enriched uranium (HEU), currently being held at the Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario, to facilities in the U.S. where it will be converted into a form unusable in nuclear weapons.  The Prime Minister made the announcement on the margins of the Nuclear Security Summit taking place in Washington, D.C., on April 12-13.
 
“Canada is actively participating in international efforts to help ensure that nuclear weapons materials do not fall into the hands of terrorists,” said Prime Minister Harper.   “This project will return highly enriched uranium spent fuel inventories to the U.S. and will result in significant cost savings to Canada over time.”
 
The project, which will take place between 2010 and 2018, is part of broader international efforts being promoted at the Nuclear Security Summit to consolidate fresh and spent HEU at a smaller number of very secure locations.  These efforts have resulted in several countries returning fresh and spent HEU to original suppliers — principally the U.S. and Russia — as well as the consolidation of HEU inventories within countries.
 
Canada remains a leader in promoting domestic and international nuclear security measures.  All nuclear material in Canada is safely and securely stored consistent with domestic policy, legislation and regulations as well as international standards and obligations.
 
This project addresses the Government’s commitment, as outlined in the March 2010 Speech from the Throne, to support U.S. President Obama’s nuclear security goals, including to participate fully in today’s landmark Nuclear Security Summit.  It sets an example of cooperation for others to follow.



Backgrounder

REPATRIATION OF U.S.-ORIGIN HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM FROM CHALK RIVER

The most difficult challenge for a terrorist organization seeking to build a nuclear weapon or improvised nuclear device is obtaining fissile material, either plutonium or highly enriched uranium (HEU). 
 
To help deter the possibility of this happening, the international community has been moving towards consolidating fresh and spent HEU at a smaller number of secure locations.  This has resulted in several countries returning HEU to original suppliers — principally the United States and Russia — as well as the consolidation of inventories within countries.
 
Canada has a significant quantity of spent U.S.-origin HEU fuel stored at the Chalk River National Laboratories.  Canada and the U.S. have agreed to cooperate in the repatriation of this U.S.-origin HEU fuel to the U.S. between 2010 and 2018.  The return of the spent HEU fuel to the U.S. will result in increased security of this inventory and in significant cost savings over long-term management in Canada. 
 
Government support of this project of up to $65 million will be provided through the Government of Canada’s Nuclear Legacy Liabilities Program’s existing budget. 
 
The Government of Canada’s Nuclear Legacy Liabilities Program was announced in June 2006 and provides a long-term strategy to manage legacy wastes and contamination on Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) sites, including Chalk River.