<P> There is one gas centrifuge enrichment plant currently in commercial operation in the US . The National Enrichment Facility, operated by URENCO east of Eunice, New Mexico, was the first uranium enrichment plant in 30 years to be built in the US . The plant started enriching uranium in 2010 . Two additional gas centrifuge plants have been licensed by the NRC, but are not operating . The American Centrifuge Plant in Piketown, Ohio broke ground in 2007, but stopped construction in 2009 . The Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility in Bonneville County, Idaho was licensed in 2011, but construction is on hold . </P> <P> Previously (2008), demonstration activities were underway in Oak Ridge, Tennessee for a future centrifugal enrichment plant . The new plant would have been called the American Centrifuge Plant, at an estimated cost of 2.3 billion USD . </P> <P> As of September 30, 2015, the DOE is ending its contract with the American Centrifuge Project and has stopped funding the project . </P> <P> Nuclear reprocessing has been politically controversial because of the potential to contribute to nuclear proliferation, the potential vulnerability to nuclear terrorism, the political challenges of repository siting, and because of its high cost compared to the once - through fuel cycle . The Obama administration has disallowed reprocessing of nuclear waste, citing nuclear proliferation concerns . Critics of reprocessing worry that the recycled materials will be used for weapons . However, it is unlikely that reprocessed plutonium would be used for nuclear weapons, because it is not weapons - grade . Nonetheless, it is possible that terrorists could steal these materials, because the reprocessed plutonium is less radiotoxic than spent fuel and therefore much easier to steal . Nuclear power plants may not even notice if plutonium was stolen . It is difficult for plants to measure within even tens of kilograms, because making measurements at that accuracy is very time - consuming; consequently, it is likely that smaller amounts of plutonium could be stolen without detection . Additionally, reprocessing is more expensive when compared with spent fuel storage . One study by the Boston Consulting Group estimated that reprocessing is six percent more expensive than spent fuel storage while another study by the Kennedy School of Government stated that reprocessing is 100 percent more expensive . </P>

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