It's my understanding...
Davin asked:
"Processing spent fuel rods, if I understand, is pretty straight forward. How will processing pebbles work out?"
--- end quote ---
It is my understanding that graphite ball reactors are at the tail end of the nuclear fuel cycle. Most of the fissile material is burned up inside the graphite balls. Supposably reprocessing fuel depleted balls is more trouble than it's worth. However graphite balls do lend themselves well to nuclear waste disposal. Supposably after they cool down, the balls don't represent an extreme radiation hazard. The balls could be easily disposed of in a place like Yucca Mountain. Graphite ball nuclear fuel is considered very safe in terms of nuclear weapons proliferation.
Gary