But he said the use of civilian reactors should be reserved for national emergencies.

To do so, its speed must be reduced; civilian reactors in this country use water for that purpose.

In 1982, the government announced plans to convert civilian reactors to low-enriched uranium.

Some private organizations, though, say use in civilian reactors creates new problems.

It has also taken several steps toward using civilian reactors for tritium production.

The only way North Korea could get a civilian reactor, he noted, was if another country supplied one.

"One should not assume that the Government has plans to take over civilian nuclear reactors," he said.

Many of the country's nuclear experts said that if civilian reactors had experienced the same serious problems, they would have been shut down immediately.

Meanwhile, we're going to sell them fuel for their civilian reactors.

Their conclusions have important implications for the production and use of nuclear material in civilian reactors as well.