1.   American scientists will join Russian and Norwegian colleagues in developing safe storage containers for reactor fuel elements and a new method of liquid waste processing based on Russian technology.

2.   Each fuel element is encased in extremely tough iridium metal and then embedded in high-strength blocks of heat-resistant graphite.

3.   A large cylindrical basket holding the irradiated fuel elements appeared to come loose as it was being lowered to a cooling pond, he said.

4.   He had ruled an environmental study was necessary before the fuel elements could be shipped to the Savannah River nuclear weapons plant near Aiken, South Carolina.

5.   The fuel elements would be transported in casks similar to those approved for transporting used fuel from U.S. commercial reactors.

6.   The plutonium would be turned into MOX fuel elements for civilian nuclear reactors.