The analysis of DOE facilities to manufacture the plutonium cores (pits) for nuclear weapons is due to Congress in less than a month. That report will, in part, analyze DOE sites for location of a facility to produce about 50 pits per year. While such a facility is not needed and will have environmental impacts due to handling of plutonium and other toxic materials, DOE may ask Congress to begin to fund it in Fiscal Year 2020.
We predict that the soon-to-be-terminated MOX plant at SRS will likely be first or high on the list for location of the pit plant. The Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF), on which $5.2 billion has been wasted and which is substantially below 50% complete, might be “repurposed” for the pit “mission.”
Stay tuned for more news. We are hopeful the DOE report will be released to the public on May 11 or shortly thereafter.