Nonproliferation, Nuclear Industry Experts to Discuss Fuel Cycle Issues

Newswise — Next week policy-makers, academicians, industry representatives, and other experts representing the world's nonproliferation and nuclear power communities will gather near Washington, D.C., to discuss ways to reduce the proliferation risks of civilian nuclear fuels.

Sandia National Laboratories, a National Nuclear Security Administration lab, is sponsoring the gathering, called the 14th International Security Conference, to re-invigorate discussions about the nuclear fuel cycle and its inherent nonproliferation challenges as many policy makers and technology leaders are anticipating a new age of safe and proliferation-resistant civilian nuclear power programs.

The conference takes place at the Westfields Marriott Hotel, Chantilly, Va., April 4-6.

This year's conference, themed "Strengthening the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime: Focus on the Civilian Nuclear Fuel Cycle," will feature keynote addresses by international luminaries in nonproliferation and nuclear energy. Panels of distinguished government officials and industry experts will discuss the following topics:

* The Energy and Security Environments: A Fresh Look at an Old Challenge* Assessing the Proliferation Risks Associated with the Civilian Nuclear Fuel Cycle* Multilateral Approaches for Managing the Proliferation Risk of the Fuel Cycle* Preventing the Misuse and Diversion of Material and Technology* The Fuel Cycle in East Asia

Sandia National Laboratories' International Security Center sponsors the conference. The Center's mission includes helping political and technical experts from around the world acquire the technology needed to monitor and control the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

For more information about the conference, please visit the conference web site at http://www.intlsecconf.sandia.gov.

Highlighted speakers (subject to change)

* Paul Longsworth, Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, National Nuclear Security Administration, United States* C. Paul Robinson, President and Laboratories Director, Sandia National Laboratories, United States* Jacques Bouchard, Director of Nuclear Energy, French Atomic Energy Agency, France* Rose Gottemoeller, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, United States* Bruno Pellaud, Chairman, International Atomic Energy Agency Experts Group on Multilateral Approaches to the Fuel Cycle, Switzerland* Amb. Tetsuya Endo, Japanese Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Japan* Jose Goldemberg, Sao Paolo University, Brazil* Un Chul Lee, President, Korean Nuclear Society, Republic of Korea* Azhar Djaloeis, Chairman, Indonesia Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency, Indonesia* Andrew Kadak, MIT, United States

Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin company, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia has major R&D responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness.

Release available at: http://www.sandia.gov/news-center/news-releases/2005/def-nonprolif-sec/isc05.html