US embassy cable - 04ROME3592

UNCLAS  ROME 003592 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DOE FOR JOSEPH MC MONIGLE AND FOR OFFICE FOR GLOBAL THREAT 
REDUCTION 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
 
TAGS: ENRG, PREL, KNNP, KSCA, IT 
SUBJECT:  REPATRIATING SPENT ELK RIVER FUEL FROM ITALY  - 
SECRETARY ABRAHAM'S RESPONSE TO PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
Refs:  A) Rome 3471 B) 03 Rome 2847 C) Milliken-Sellen 
8/31/04 email 
 
1.  This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 13. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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2.  This report is further to ref A report of Secretary 
Abraham's call on Prime Ministry Under Secretary Letta 
August 25.  In that call, U/S Letta asked Secretary 
Abraham's personal help to permit Italy to ship spent 
nuclear fuel to the DOE Savannah River Center for storage. 
(The fuel is currently stored in Italy, but originated from 
the Elk River Reactor under a 1959 U.S.-Italy cooperative 
research program.)  Secretary Abraham agreed to help U/S 
Letta.  The Embassy wishes to encourage a timely response to 
U/S Letta, since he is 1) key to getting the Megaports 
program initiated in Italy; 2) one of the best and senior- 
most contacts for this embassy and someone to whom we turn 
for help on issues critical to the U.S. interest; and 3) 
someone who has seldom asked for our help.  Please see 
paragraph 13 below for action requested.  End summary. 
 
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INTRODUCTION 
----------------------- 
 
3.  In the context of Secretary Abraham's August 25 visit to 
Rome and his appeal to Italy for support on the U.S. Global 
Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), U/S Letta asked for 
Secretary Abraham's personal help in repatriating to the 
 
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United States, spent nuclear fuel now stored in Trisaia in 
southern Italy (Ref A).   Secretary Abraham responded that 
this type of below-weapons-grade fuel was just the kind of 
material that the GRTI was attempting to secure better, and 
that he would have his technical staff review the request 
and respond very soon to U/S Letta's request. 
 
4.  Shortly thereafter, Ivo Tripputi, from SOGIN Nuclear 
Plants Dismantlement Division, contacted Embassy staff to 
underscore the interest of SOGIN, the firm with 
responsibility for the fuel in question, in repatriating the 
fuel to the U.S.  Tripputi confirmed that SOGIN would 
finance the transfer of the spent fuel to the United States. 
Note:  SOGIN is a state-owned company since it belongs to 
the Ministry of Economy and Finance but is overseen by the 
Productive Activities Ministry, which is responsible for 
energy issues.  SOGIN is in charge of the Italian 
decommissioning program, which includes five nuclear power 
plants and four fuel cycle facilities.  End note. 
 
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BACKGROUND 
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Bilateral Nuclear Fuel Cooperation 
------------------------------------------ 
 
5.   Reportedly, after the Elk River Reactor (ERR) shut down 
in January 1968, all fuel was removed from the reactor and 
shipped from the site from 1968-1970.  Eighty-four 
assemblies were sent to the Trisaia Research Center (ITREC), 
in southern Italy, in three shipments.  The transfer was 
further to a 1959 agreement between the U.S. Atomic Energy 
Commission (USAEC) and Italy's CNRN (then CNEN, now ENEA, 
the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and 
Environment).  The fuel was to be used in examining the 
technical/economic feasibility of the uranium-thorium 
nuclear fuel cycle.  When the research program was 
terminated in the seventies, only twenty assemblies had been 
actually reprocessed at ITREC.  Since then, the remaining 64 
ERR fuel assemblies have been stored in the ITREC plant pool 
in stainless steel capsules. 
 
6.  The remaining 64 have the following configuration: 
-- 20 elements are contained in latest design capsules (type 
II); 
-- 16 previously dismantled elements have been reassembled 
in special 5x5 quivers, then placed in type II capsules; and 
-- 28 elements have been contained since the date of receipt 
in first design capsules (type I). 
 
7.   Note:  According to SOGIN, there is precedent for 
storing Elk River spent fuel at the DOE Savannah River Site. 
The GOI understands there are already 190 assemblies of Elk 
River fuel stored in 38 bundles, in the L-Basin, now being 
 
 
conditioned and awaiting transfer to Yucca Mountain.   End 
note. 
 
Italy's Nuclear Waste Storage Problem 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
8.  Italy has been bedeviled with finding a safe, 
politically acceptable solution for nuclear waste disposal 
for many years (ref B).  Some nuclear waste is a by-product 
of research, industrial, or medical activities; but most 
resulted from the dismantling of nuclear power stations. In 
November 2003, the GOI identified the area of Scansano 
Ionico, in the region of Basilicata, as a possible waste 
site.  Unfortunately, however, the GOI did not consult with 
local authorities beforehand; and the community raised 
vigorous objections over their perceived threat to this well- 
endowed center of tourism and organic agriculture.  The 
community's and local governments' strong political 
objections forced the GOI to back down, and to ask Nuclear 
Waste Commissioner General Carlo Jean, also President of 
SOGIN, to identify an alternative site. 
 
9.  According to the GOI, it is not possible to 
reprocess/condition the spent fuel in Italy or Europe, writ 
large.  The GOI sees as its options either transferring the 
64 assemblies in question either to the DOE Savannah River 
Center or exporting them temporarily to Russia.  The GOI 
prefers the first solution; and should the USG agree to 
accept the spent fuel, Italy would provide full funding for 
transport to the United States. 
 
Waste Container Issue Makes a U.S. Response to Accept the 
Fuel Urgent. 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
----------------------------- 
 
10.  Until now, SOGIN has stored the 64 elements still in 
Italy in a pool at ITREC.  However, the pool structure is 
old; and SOGIN must find another solution very soon.  Any 
solution would require transport from the present site, and 
the decision on where the spent fuel goes dictates the type 
of transport/storage container.  Because of the long lead- 
time required to construct a customized storage container, 
SOGIN is considering signing an extremely expensive contract 
with a French firm for two custom-designed, EU-standard, 
transport/dry-storage containers for the 64 elements.  This 
decision on the container would cover the very unlikely 
solution of either further storage in Italy (politically 
impossible) or transport to Russia (also difficult 
politically).   However, should the United States be able to 
accept the spent fuel, SOGIN would need to know 
 
-- U.S. standards for transport/storage containers and how 
SOGIN could arrange to have those containers made by a U.S. 
manufacturer; 
-- Alternatively, if U.S. standards for shipment/storage of 
this spent fuel are the same as EU standards whether SOGIN 
should continue to pursue the expensive option of EU- 
standards containers; 
-- Alternatively, once again, if the United States would 
store the spent fuel in a pool, in which case, SOGIN would 
not sign the expensive contract with the French firm and 
begin talks with U.S. authorities over transport/storage 
container specifications for pool storage.  (Please see 
action requested below.) 
 
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PROTOCOL AND LEGAL REQUIREMENTS 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
11.  Once DOE staff has examined enough of the particulars 
of the request from the GOI to decide how to respond to the 
GOI request, Embassy would suggest that Secretary Abraham 
transmit a letter to U/S Letta 1) confirming the USG intent 
to find a timely solution in repatriating the last remaining 
64 elements of spent fuel still in Italy; and 2) inviting 
the GOI to begin work with DOE on a written agreement of 
terms and conditions for removal of the spent fuel to the 
United States, including title and identification of the 
entity responsible for custody of the material during 
transfer.   Embassy would suggest DOE cable the text of such 
a letter, which the Embassy would be pleased to convey to 
U/S Letta in the Office of the Prime Minister. 
 
12.  As a help to DOE, we are providing below the names and 
titles of major players here in Italy as we decide whether 
the United States can accept the spent fuel in question. 
 
 
Under Secretary (Prime Minister's Office) Gianni Letta - 
arguably, the second most powerful person in Italy and key 
to us on many other important issues, including Megaports. 
 
General Carlo Jean - the Italian Nuclear Materials Safety 
Commissioner and President of SOGIN, the state-owned firm in 
charge of the Italian decommissioning program. 
 
Professor Sergio Garribba - DG for Energy at the Ministry of 
Productive Activities. 
 
Engineer Bruno Agricola - DG for Environmental Protection at 
the Ministry of Environment. 
 
Engineer Giorgio Cesari - Director General of APAT (the 
Agency for Environmental Protection and Technical Services). 
 
Engineer Giancarlo Bolognini - CEO of  SOGIN. 
 
Engineer Ivo Tripputi - Chief of SOGIN Division for Nuclear 
Plant Dismantlement, and the technical point of contact for 
solving this issue. 
 
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Action Requested 
---------------------- 
 
13.  With the knowledge that Italy has asked us to move very 
quickly to help them make the best and most economical 
decision on transport/storage containers, please 
-- provide guidance soonest whether DOE can accept the last 
64 elements of spent fuel now in Italy for storage in the 
United States; 
-- indicate how the material will be stored (dry storage or 
in pools); 
-- provide a contact point SOGIN could use to begin 
discussions on the type of transport/storage container 
required; and 
-- transmit the text of a letter for U/S Letta from 
Secretary Abraham by cable indicating whether the USG will 
 
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be able to accept the spent fuel for storage and inviting 
the GOI to begin negotiations on an agreement to 
transfer/store the spent fuel.  End action requested. 
 
14.  Embassy appreciates Department of Energy assistance. 
Sembler 
 
 
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 2004ROME03592 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED