From: NE, DOE [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2009 12:39 PM
To: Steve Kirsch
Subject: E-mail Reply to Steve Kirsch / RE:Briefing on the Integral FastReactor

Thank you for your e-mail dated April 8, 2009, to the Secretary of Energy recognizing the importance of the past Integral Fast Reactor
(IFR) research and development (R&D) effort and also recommending a briefing be set up for Secretary Chu by the former Argonne National
Laboratory Associate Director Yoon Chang.

Several of the Department of Energy Headquarters nuclear engineering managers who worked on the IFR program still work at the Department.
All of the successful work elements of the IFR program are embedded in our current Advanced Fuel Cycle R&D program, including development of advanced fuels with the potential to contribute to improved management of the Light Water Reactor (LWR) spent fuel disposition with associated processing development. The potential benefits you cite of significantly contributing to the management of radioactive waste, no carbon dioxide emissions and competitive economics remain unchanged.

We do not believe a specific IFR related briefing to the Secretary is needed because of the many technical advances that have been made since the time when that program was terminated. Please rest assured that we will brief the Secretary on our current fuel cycle R&D activities that includes many of the components of the IFR program.

Again thanks for your strong support of the concept embodied in the IFR program. The IFR definitely lives on.