In September 2000, the United States and the Russian Federation entered into an
agreement stipulating that each country will irreversibly transform 34 metric tons of
weapons-grade plutonium into forms which could not be used for weapons purposes. To
meet the United States' commitment, the Department of Energy planned activities at its
Savannah River Site; specifically, to immobilize 8.4 metric tons of weapons-grade
plutonium and to convert 25.6 metric tons into nuclear reactor fuel. The plan called for
the design and construction of three major facilities at Savannah River: the Pit
Disassembly and Conversion Facility, the Plutonium Immobilization Plant, and the
Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility. The Department's total estimated life cycle cost
for these facilities was about $6.1 billion, of which about $400 million has been
expended.
