One year after the plutonium disk and cesium source went missing from San Antonio, the government remains quiet and experts raise concerns regarding the system in place for nuclear material accounting. FMWG Chair Miles Pomper explains the political difficulties of creating an effective system for military-related materials, while Dr. Charles Ferguson highlights the lack of […]
Op-ed: A Real Nuclear Triumph for Trump: Extend New START
Senior Policy Director Alexandra Bell co-wrote a piece in Breaking Defense on the need to extend the New START Treaty between the United States and Russia. As President Trump prepares to meet Vladimir Putin in a high-stakes one-on-one meeting, there is growing and legitimate concern in Washington and European capitals about concessions Trump might make in the hopes […]
In the News: FMWG member Dr. Alan Kuperman responds to Japan’s plan to reduce domestic plutonium stockpiles through MOX
In a recent article, Dr. Kuperman explains the MOX solution for Japan’s 48 tons of plutonium is not the proper solution to this security problem. Even if Japan’s plutonium was fabricated to be used in a MOX facility, “Japan cannot accelerate use of MOX fuel because it lacks the reactors to do so. Only nine […]
We are Still Waiting for Real Action on Chemical Weapon Attacks
John A. Gilbert, Scientists Working Group on Biological and Chemical Security Once again, the world is learning about another case of death and profound harm from exposure to chemical weapon (CW) material. On Saturday, June 29, two civilians living a few miles from Salisbury, England were hospitalized after exposure to a nerve agent; one died […]
In the News: Current Administration tries to undermine support for HEU to LEU in Naval Fuel Reactors
While the current administration tries to undermine support for highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low-enriched uranium (LEU) in naval fuel reactors. The Navy and Energy Secretary sent a letter to leadership arguing, the replacement of HEU with LEU “would result in a reactor design that is inherently less capable, more expensive, and unlikely to support […]
