Between 1944 and 1994, the U.S. government produced 99.5 metric tons of plutonium for use in an estimated 70,000 nuclear weapons. Today, roughly 80% of the U.S. nuclear arsenal has been discarded, and the United States is struggling to dispose of the surplus plutonium. Currently, a total of 61.2 tons of plutonium is declared excess […]
Fact Sheet: The Iran Deal, Then and Now
Updated May 2024 To understand why the Biden administration has charged American diplomats with reviving the Iran nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), one only need look at what would happen in its absence. Without it, Iran has moved closer to a nuclear weapon and is threatening to reach […]
‘Sea change:’ Advanced reactors spur look at recycling waste
Research Analyst Samuel Hickey spoke with E&E News about the proliferation concerns inherent in fuel reprocessing policy conversations. Foes of reprocessing see similarities between such defunct nuclear designs and some of the advanced reactor technologies now under development. “There are some new designs, but they are not demonstrably greater, so we are still dealing with […]
Assessing the 2020 Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Compliance Report
By James Loftis, Policy Intern The Trump Administration just released its “Executive Summary of Findings on Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments,” also known as the Compliance Report. As directed by Congress, the Department of State is required to provide an annual report on “the status of United States policy and […]
Fact Sheet: The Hague Code of Conduct (HCOC)
Updated December 2023 The International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation, commonly called The Hague Code of Conduct (HCOC) is an intergovernmental organization whose members implement transparency and confidence-building measures related to missiles capable of delivering nuclear, chemical or biological weapons, as well as related technology. As of February 2020, 144 nations are members […]
