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 […]
Security Spending
Summary of Senate Version of Fiscal 2016 National Defense Authorization Bill
On May 12, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved a $602 billion authorization bill by a vote of 23-3. The three Senators who voted no were reported as Deb Fischer (R-NB), Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT). Cruz said he voted no because of the provision requiring women to register for the draft. Lee […]
Hiroshima: A Nuclear Past and Future
After weeks of speculation, it’s finally been confirmed: President Obama will make a visit to Hiroshima after the G-7 Summit later this month.
Reducing the Threat of HEU: Alternative Fuel for Naval Reactors
By: Cassandra Peterson The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty ensures a country’s right to pursue peaceful nuclear energy projects in a verifiable manner, but a convenient loophole places enriched uranium intended for nautical use outside of the realm of accepted safeguards. This means that some highly enriched uranium (HEU) held by the U.S. and other countries isn’t […]
Fact Sheet: Preventing a Dirty Bomb: Why Radiological Security Matters
Updated March 2021 Nuclear terrorism poses a grave threat to human life. Though less devastating than a nuclear weapon, a terrorist incident featuring radiological material is far more likely due to the abundance of these materials and a widespread lack of adequate security. Consequently, physically protecting isotopes that could be used for a nuclear weapon […]
