France and Japan reprocess spent fuel to recover plutonium and 0.9% enriched uranium out of it; the USA does not. Here is what is involved. The spent fuel rods are cooled for 1 year in water (“swimming pools”). They are then taken apart underwater by remote control. The fuel pellets are dissolved in chemicals to sepa­rate out the uranium and plutonium. These are sent to Russia for isotope separation in centrifuges. Their oxides are made into an LWR fuel called “mixed oxide” or MOX. Ceramic MOX is radioactive and expensive. The arguments for reprocessing are that uranium fuel is not wasted, and there is less left-over radioactive waste to store underground. The long-lived part is four times smaller than in stored waste without reprocessing. The arguments against reprocessing are that the plutonium can be stolen for bombs, and that it is simpler and cheaper to just store the spent fuel.