The Plutonium Facility, or PF-4, at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico is undergoing a transformation from an experimental laboratory to a facility that mass-produces plutonium "pits," the cores inside nuclear bombs. This is in response to a 2018 law that mandates the production of 30 pits per year by 2026. The Biden Administration is allocating significant funding to support this expansion. However, critics argue that restarting nuclear-weapons manufacturing carries significant risks, including environmental disasters and the potential for a new arms race. The challenges of building new facilities and dealing with radioactive waste are also cited, and skeptics question whether the production targets can be met. The last time the U.S. mass-produced pits was in 1989, at the Rocky Flats site in Colorado, which was shut down due to serious environmental violations. There are concerns about the safety of workers and the surrounding community, as well as the potential for the renewal of underground weapons testing. The article concludes by highlighting the inherent risks and uncertainties of entering a new nuclear era.
Mon, 24 Jul 2023 11:00:00 GMT | TIME