US to send large quantities of weapons-grade plutonium for disposal

BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 20. The United States
intends to dispose of its 34 tons of surplus weapons-grade
plutonium in a manner that potentially preserves its military use,
Trend
reports.

Initially, this amount was intended to be converted into nuclear
power plant fuel (called MOX fuel) to produce electricity. After
being used in a reactor, plutonium almost completely loses its
properties. However, the US Department of Energy, which includes
NNSA, abandoned this method in 2018.

According to NNSA, the United States currently plans to dispose
of excess weapons-grade plutonium by dilution, mixing it with
various other substances, and subsequent disposal. However, this
method theoretically leaves the possibility of separating the
plutonium and converting it back into nuclear material.

In order to dispose of excess weapons-grade plutonium, the
United States plans to build new or modify existing production
facilities at NNSA facilities in Savannah River in South Carolina,
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico, the Pantex
plant in Texas, and also prepare deep Geological storage facility
for radioactive waste (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant – WIPP) in New
Mexico.