The carter anti-plutonium policy

Abstract

The US administration has embarked on an ambitious effort to rescue civil nuclear energy from perceived dangers, notably the further spread of plutonium separation technology. The Carter policy is focused on the critical activities of spent fuel reprocessing and plutonium fuel recycle, and aims to limit them to as few countries as possible. The Nuclear Non-proliferation Act of 1978 gives US anti-plutonium policy a comprehensive legislative mandate. It also extends the policy into the field of international diplomacy. This article examines the premises and origins of the US policy, its general intent and direction, the main features of the 1978 Act, the diplomatic record to date, and the implications of the Carter initiatives.