Newsletter N° 17/18
(United States)
Plutonium Stocks in the United States
Plutonium Stocks in the United States
|
Annual figures for civil
unirradiated plutonium
|
As
of 31st Dec. 1997 rounded for 1 tonne plutonium
|
As
of 31st Dec. 1996
|
| 1. Unirradiated separated plutonium in product stores at reprocessing plants |
0.00
t
|
0.00
t
|
| 2. Unirradiated separated plutonium in the course of manufacture or fabrication and plutonium in unirradiated products at fuel or other fabricating plants or elsewhere |
<
0.05 t
|
<
0.05 t
|
| 3. Plutonium in unirradiated fuel or other fabricated products at reactor sites or elsewhere |
4.60
t
|
4.60
t
|
| 4. Unirradiated separated plutonium held elsewhere** |
40.40
t
|
40.40
t
|
|
TOTAL (this line does not
exist in the official document)
|
45.00 t
|
45.00 t
|
* : rounded for 100 kg
** : including separated plutonium used for research purposes
|
Estimated quantities of plutonium
contained in spent civil reactor fuel
|
As
of 31st Dec. 1997 rounded for 1 tonne plutonium
|
As
of 31st Dec. 1996
|
| 1. Plutonium contained in spent fuel at civil reactor sites |
287
t
|
270 t
|
| 2. Plutonium contained in spent fuel at reprocessing plants |
0
t
|
0 t
|
| 3. Plutonium contained in spent fuel held elsewhere |
15
t
|
13 t
|
|
TOTAL (this line does
not exist in the official document)
|
302 t
|
283 t
|
(Source:
Permanent Mission of the United States of America to the IAEA, 11
October 1999)
The 45 t of separated plutonium along with 7,5 t of the 15 t listed in plutonium contained in spent civil reactor fuel constitutes the 52,5 t that the United States has declared as excess to defense needs. These 7,5 t were originally generated or acquired for defense purposes but have not been separated from the spent fuel. According to the US government statement, there is no American separated plutonium in the U.S. or elsewhere than that which was produced or acquired in the past for defense-related purposes.
Back