The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2012

Fact Sheet: History of Trilateral Threat Reduction Cooperation at the Former Semipalatinsk Test Site

From 1949 through 1989, the Soviet Union conducted hundreds of underground nuclear tests and experiments at the former Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS). Located in remote eastern Kazakhstan, the STS occupies approximately 18,000 square kilometers, almost the size of New Jersey and over five times the size of the Nevada Test Site. After achieving independence, Kazakhstan partnered with the Department of Defense (DoD) Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Program– with support from Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) –to eliminate legacy Soviet nuclear test infrastructure in support of nonproliferation objectives. In 2000, DoD completed itsproject to seal 181 test tunnels and 13 test shafts at STS.

In the following years, evidence of scavenging activity at STS, coupled with the increased focus on nuclear terrorism after September 11, led to an assessment that nuclear material remaining in the tunnelswas vulnerable. An unprecedented collaboration between former Soviet and U.S. weapons scientists concluded that over a dozen weapons worth of nuclear material likely remained at the site. Russia, Kazakhstan, and the United States concluded the material was vulnerable enough to require a sustained effort to secure areas of STS. Scientists and policymakers identified over 40 tunnels that posed sufficient risk to be included in the work plan. DoD’s CTR Program managed the project for the United States, with technical support from LANL.

Work crews entombed the material in special cement, pluggedand collapsed the tunnels, and resealedand concealed the tunnel portals. The special cement renderedthe nuclearmaterial inaccessible except through a large-scale, easily-observable mining and recovery effort.President Nazarbayev declared part of STS an “exclusion zone”and the U.S. partnered with Kazakhstani security forces to provide equipment and training to deter and detect intruders.

President Obama’s April 2009 announcement of a four-year nuclear international effort to secure all nuclear material led to an acceleration of the STS project and completion almost two years ahead of the originalschedule. The project, initiated in 2005, will be completed within budget, at an estimated total cost of $150 M over eight years.This trilateral effort was by far the most extensive nuclear security project at STS, although between 2002 and 2005,DoD’s CTR Programalso secured nuclear material through threesmaller-scale projects in other areas of STS.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2012

Fact Sheet: Plutonium Removal from Sweden

Sweden has been a global leader on nonproliferation, and was one of the first countries to return highly enriched uranium based spent fuel under the U.S. Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel (FRR SNF) Acceptance Program, which began in 1996 as part of the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). NNSA has worked collaboratively with Sweden to remove all weapons-usable nuclear material from the country.

Plutonium Removal from Sweden:

At the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit, the United States and Sweden announced the successful removal of plutonium from Sweden. This shipment was completed by NNSA’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) and was the first shipment of plutonium to the United States under this program. The mission to remove plutonium from Sweden was initiated in 2009 and completed in 2012.

The plutonium was located at AB SVAFO facility in Studsvik, about 100 km south of Stockholm. Over 3 kilograms of plutonium was removed and included both Swedish and U.S. origin material.  Prior to removal, the plutonium was securely stored in a special vault under IAEA safeguards. In order to complete this project, NNSA and Sweden needed to develop facilities to stabilize and repackage the plutonium materials. 

This inaugural shipment of plutonium under GTRI involved the following, multi-year processes:

  • U.S. Environmental approvals per the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to return weapons usable plutonium to the U.S. under GTRI was obtained in 2010 following a four year review process
  • The plutonium removal required design, construction, regulatory approval, and start-up of a plutonium laboratory in Sweden to stabilize and package the materials for shipment
  • The plutonium shipment was packaged and sealed in accordance with IAEA safeguards prior to shipment
  • A U.S. DOE designed 9975 package certificate was validated for the first time for international shipment of the plutonium materials
  • Material will be dispositioned using existing disposition paths along with approximately 55 metric tons of U.S. surplus plutonium

Plutonium Handling

The stabilization, packaging and shipment of plutonium presents unique challenges due to its radioactivity and pyrophoricity. Other challenges of plutonium handling include:

  • Plutonium powder can be dangerous when inhaled since it emits alpha radiation that can damage living tissue
  • Plutonium  materials  have to be stabilized at high temperatures to minimize impurities and moisture prior to packaging
  • Specially engineered glove boxes are required to handle, stabilize and package the material
  • Plutonium is typically shipped by land or sea in specially certified packages
  • Shipment of significant quantities of plutonium require Category 1 ocean vessels  unlike those used to transport spent fuel

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2012

Joint Statement on Quadrilateral Cooperation on High-density Low-enriched Uranium Fuel Production

We, the leaders of Belgium, France, the United States and the Republic of Korea gathered in Seoul on the occasion of the Second Nuclear Security Summit recognize that the ultimate goal of nuclear security is advanced by minimizing highly-enriched uranium (HEU) in civilian use, which is declared in the Washington Communique and the Work Plan and is also a key issue on the agenda of the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit.

In this regard expressing our strong commitment to achieving the nuclear security objectives and noting the continued use of civilian HEU as research reactor fuel, we are cooperating on utilizing high-density low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel powder production technology in the following ways as part of an effort to convert research reactors from HEU fuel to LEU fuel.

1. The United States will provide by the end of 2012 a sufficient amount of LEU, approximately 100 kg, for the Republic of Korea to manufacture approximately 100kg of atomized uranium molybdenum (U-Mo) powder within the year 2013 using the centrifugal atomizing technology developed by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute.

2. The Republic of Korea will provide this U-Mo powder to the French fabricator AREVA CERCA for its use in the manufacture of high-density U-Mo fuel lead test assemblies.

3. France and Belgium will load this U-Mo fuel into their high performance research reactors once an appropriate form of high-density U-Mo dispersion type of fuel has been qualified.

4. Following the loading of U-Mo fuel, our experts will assess the performance of the fuel and other technical aspects of this project, including the function and efficiency of the U-Mo fuel and if the result proves satisfactory, we intend to further cooperate in sharing adequate information and providing necessary assistance to countries seeking to convert reactors from HEU fuel to LEU fuel.

We express our shared confidence that this project, which is based on international cooperation on high-density LEU fuel production technology developed with the support of the Republic of Korea, the United States, France and Belgium, contributes directly to the ultimate goal of minimizing HEU in civilian use.  Stressing that cooperation and support from the international community are crucial for promoting the universal use of LEU-based U-Mo fuel, we agree to work together to share the benefits of this technology.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2012

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

  • Brett H. McGurk – Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq, Department of State
  • Michele J. Sison – Ambassador to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives, Department of State

President Obama said, “Our nation will be greatly served by the talent and expertise these individuals bring to their new roles.  I am grateful they have agreed to serve in this Administration, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Brett H. McGurk, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq, Department of State
Brett H. McGurk is currently senior advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq.  Previously, he served as a senior advisor to Ambassadors Ryan Crocker and Christopher Hill in Baghdad.  From 2005 to 2009, Mr. McGurk served on the National Security Council, initially as Director for Iraq and later as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Iraq and Afghanistan.  Prior to 2005, he was a legal advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.  He also worked as an International Affairs Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics.  From 2001 to 2002, he served as a law clerk for Chief Justice William Rehnquist of the Supreme Court of the United States.  Previously, Mr. McGurk was a law clerk for Judge Dennis Jacobs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for Judge Gerard Lynch of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.  He received a B.A. from the University of Connecticut and a J.D. from Columbia University.

Ambassador Michele J. Sison, Nominee for Ambassador to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives, Department of State
Ambassador Michele J. Sison, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, is currently the Assistant Chief of Mission for Law Enforcement and Rule of Law Assistance in Baghdad, Iraq.  From 2008 to 2010, she was Ambassador to the Republic of Lebanon.  She was Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 2004 to 2008 and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs from 2002 to 2004.  Ambassador Sison’s prior assignments include:  Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan; Consul General in Chennai, India; Consul General in Douala, Cameroon; and Director of Career Development and Assignments in the Department of State’s Bureau of Human Resources.  Additional overseas assignments include roles at the U.S. Embassies in Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, and Haiti.  Ambassador Sison received a B.A. from Wellesley College.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2012

Statement by the President on Senegal’s Elections

I congratulate Macky Sall on his victory in Senegal’s presidential elections.  Domestic and international observers report that the election was carried out transparently, freely, and reflects the will of the Senegalese people.

I also recognize President Abdoulaye Wade for his leadership and friendship to the United States during his presidency.  I look forward to building similarly productive ties with President-elect Sall, while deepening the longstanding bonds between the United States and the Senegalese people.

Senegal has, through this election, reaffirmed its tradition as a leading example of good governance and democracy at work in Africa and remains an example for its neighbors.  The government and people of Senegal have once again demonstrated their commitment to political expression through peaceful, democratic elections, making it harder for non-democratic forces near and far to prevail.  Today's results deepen hopes across the continent and around the world that the quest for human dignity cannot be denied and that Africa's democratic wave must continue.

The United States looks forward to maintaining its strong partnership and close engagement with the people and government of Senegal to continue to strengthen democracy, peace, and prosperity in the region.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2012

President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to the Kingdom of Tonga to Attend the State Funeral of His Majesty King George Topou V

President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to the Kingdom of Tonga to attend the State Funeral of His Majesty King George Topou V on March 27, 2012.  

The Honorable Frankie A. Reed, Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga and Tuvalu, will lead the delegation.

Members of the Presidential Delegation:

The Honorable Anthony M. Babauta, Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs, Department of the Interior

Lieutenant General Duane D. Thiessen, Commander of the United States Marine Corps Forces Pacific

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2012

Technical Trade Proclamation; Messages to Congress Regarding Argentina and South Sudan

Attached and signed by the President today is a technical trade proclamation to modify duty-free treatment under the generalized system of preferences and for other purposes as well as a message to Congress signed by the President today regarding Argentina and a message to Congress signed by the President today regarding South Sudan.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2012

Remarks of Dr. Jill Biden at the National 4-H Conference

National 4-H Youth Conference Center
Chevy Chase, Maryland

As Prepared for Delivery

Good Morning. Thank you, Stephen, for that kind introduction.  Thank you, Secretary Vilsack, for your terrific leadership.  Dr. Lauxman, thank you for hosting this conference and for your great work.

It is great to be with 4-H-rs from all around the country!  I wanted to come here today to thank all of you for the tremendous work you do to support our troops and our military families. 

As some of you may know, I’m a military mom.  My son Beau is a soldier in the Delaware National Guard and he was deployed to Iraq for a year.  That was a tough year for our family. 

Beau has two young children, and, of course, they missed their dad terribly.  But one of the most wonderful things that happened to them that year was the support and love they got – from family, from friends, from teachers, and neighbors.  Our family knows firsthand just how important it is for children to have that kind of support when a parent is deployed. 

That is why First Lady Michelle Obama and I started our Joining Forces initiative.  We want to encourage all Americans to find ways to support our military families.  Individuals, groups, and businesses have risen to the challenge in so many wonderful ways. 

The work of 4-H is a perfect example of what we hope people all across our country will do.  You have a long history of supporting our military. 

Whether it’s through the Military 4-H Club Program directly serving military kids on bases or through programs like Operation: Military Kids helping non-military youth support kids impacted by deployment, 4-H has provided a sense of community for military-connected children for decades. 

4-H has given military-connected children an outlet – a chance to use their talents and helped them reach their full potential – even while they face some unique and difficult challenges.

Children like Kyle Hoeye, an Arizona teen who started “Speak Out Military Kids” to help other children cope with deployment. 

When Kyle’s own father was deployed to Iraq, Kyle made videos to keep in touch with his dad while he was away.  Then he started teaching other military kids to use video production to tell their stories, too.   What a great idea!

Community support can be especially important for children of our troops who serve in the National Guard and Reserves. 

These families typically live in regular, non-military neighborhoods and often don’t have the built-in support of a military community.  Sometimes their neighbors don’t even know that they have a service member in their midst.  That is why I am so pleased that 4-H is focusing some attention on children in the National Guard by helping them develop leadership and communications skills.   

I want to take a moment to recognize the National Guard youth participants here today. 

Teens like Kirsten Morris from Georgia. 

Last year, Kirsten met with her State School Superintendent to share some of the unique challenges that military kids face, including frequent transitions and the challenges of readjusting to new schools and communities.   Kirsten saw a need and stepped up to address it. 

You are all here today because of your extraordinary leadership, and your commitment to service.  You are role models and mentors.  As you continue to achieve, we will look to you to keep making a difference in your communities and across the country.

A few months ago, we marked the end of combat operations in Iraq, bringing home the last American troops serving there.  Since 2003, hundreds of thousands of men and women have served multiple deployments in Iraq, enduring long and challenging separations from their loved ones.  Our troops continue to serve in Afghanistan.  As a nation, we have asked so much of them and their families – while they ask so little of us.

The challenges don’t end when our troops come home.   They – and their families – should always feel they are just a handshake away from a caring and supportive neighbor or friend who has their back. 

All of you share a very important trait with our troops and veterans – the desire to serve your country.  It is as deeply ingrained in them as it is in all of you. 

While they lead on the battlefield, you lead in your communities. 

While they protect their brothers and sisters in uniform, you find ways to support your classmates and peers.

You are part of the same fabric.

And, over the next few decades, you are going to continue to need to rely on one another. 

One of the tasks that will define leaders of your generation is supporting our veterans and military families as they have supported us.

So thank you for all that you are doing.  Thank you for having me here today and have a great conference!

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2012

Belgium-France-Netherlands-United States Joint Statement: Minimization of HEU and the Reliable Supply of Medical Radioisotopes

Gathered in Seoul on the occasion of the second Nuclear Security Summit, leaders of Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the United States reaffirm their commitment to minimize the use of Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) for civilian purposes, where technically and economically feasible, in order to advance the goal of nuclear security, as stated in the Washington Final Communiqué and Work Plan. Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the United States have committed to a set of activities designed to concurrently minimize the use of HEU and ensure a reliable supply of medical isotopes for patients worldwide in need of vital medical diagnostic treatments. 

Currently, in some facilities, HEU is still indispensable to produce medical radioisotopes used for radiopharmaceutical products. Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, as leading European countries involved in producing isotopes, have a special responsibility to ensure their reliable supply, for the benefit of the international medical community and patients worldwide. They have demonstrated their ability to find solutions for temporary shortages by prompt redirection of medical radioisotope production during the recent supply crises.

The four countries acknowledge that HEU, which can be directly used for the manufacture of nuclear explosive devices, is particularly sensitive and requires special precautions. For this reason, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the United States underscore the importance of activities to continue to ensure that security measures employed at all facilities using HEU, including medical isotope production facilities, provide protection at least comparable to commitments in international treaties and to the recommendations set forth in International Atomic Energy Agency information circular INFCIRC/225 as revised.

In this context, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, in cooperation with the United States, reaffirm their determination to support conversion of European production industries to non-HEU-based processes by 2015, subject to regulatory approvals, to reach a sustainable medical isotope production for the benefit of patients in Europe, the United States and elsewhere. As a result, in the longer term, the use of HEU will be completely eliminated for medical isotopes that are produced in Belgium, France, and The Netherlands and used in those countries and in the United States.

At the same time, with the objective of HEU minimization and with a view to an overall effective decrease of HEU-amounts, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands will deal in a responsible manner with existing large amounts of scrap HEU resulting from past activities by recycling or disposing them, with the support of the United States and other partners.

In light of these efforts and until this conversion has taken place, the United States is  prepared to supply the three countries with the necessary HEU target material to ensure uninterrupted production of medical isotopes urgently needed for diagnosing heart disease, cancer, and studying organ structure and function, while achieving the goal of HEU minimization.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2012

Italy Fact Sheet: Nuclear Security Summit 2012

Between the 1960s and mid-1980s, Italy had an ambitious nuclear power research program which included heavy water, boiling water, light water, and fast reactors.  In 1979, Italy signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which reaffirmed its commitment to be nuclear weapons free.
 
• In 1987, through a referendum, Italy announced the end of its nuclear energy program, and the Società Gestione Impianti Nucleari (SOGIN) was created in 2001 to decommission and clean up nuclear facilities.
 
• At the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit, Italy has announced it will work jointly with the United States to eliminate its excess highly enriched uranium (HEU) and plutonium.
 
• SOGIN has been working closely for the past year with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), to identify materials that can be transferred to the United States for disposition.
 
• Italy and the United States will continue to work together to complete the removal of this material in connection with the Nuclear Security Summit in 2014.