June 16, 2005 -- As a former Ukrainian nuclear physicist, now a naturalized U.S. citizen, I have developed a process (patent pending) to safely convert about 95% of the nuclear waste into
a usable fuel source. The process, involving a subcritical power module and a proliferation-resistant fuel cycle, would also eliminate the possibility of fuel meltdown and nuclear reactor
explosions (please see some details at http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0401010).
Such a power module might be developed in 10 years at a cost of less than 15 billion dollars. This is minuscule compared with the cost of maintaining the safety and security of nuclear
waste storage facilities for 10,000 years. A compact subcritical module, which is not radioactive when it is launched, could also serve as a vital component in NASA's deep space
missions.
Public support is essential for us. You can help in two ways: first, by making your research facilities available for concept modeling or feasibility studies, and second, by contacting
your representatives, so that these ideas may find a way to the Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission headquarters.