The massive 25-square-mile Pantex plant near Amarillo has become one of the
most enduring symbols of the post-Cold War era. Owned by the Department of
Energy and operated by an independent contractor, the plant is responsible for
dismantling thousands of nuclear bombs and missiles. While the federal
government shrinks other DOE facilities, Pantex is thriving. Furthermore, the
feds are considering a plan which could make the site a permanent repository
for some of the deadliest artifacts of the Nuclear Age. Here are a few basic
facts about Pantex:
* To dismantle one nuclear warhead can cost $25,000.
* Pantex dismantles about 1,400 warheads per year.
* The storage bays for the armed warheads are built to last: they have walls
consisting of a pair of two-foot-thick layers of concrete, which sandwich a
15-foot-thick layer of earth. The doors weigh 1,100 pounds and the floors are
made from a mixture of paint chips and polyurethane, which is supposed to
reduce the chance of accidental explosion.
* The guts of one of the most common nuclear bombs, the B-61, contains a
sealed cylinder of lithium deuteride and a central plutonium rod. The lithium
deuteride must be handled with care. It ignites spontaneously if exposed to
air.
* Plutonium is extremely dangerous. Nonexistent in nature, it is made in
nuclear reactors by irradiating natural uranium with neutrons. A known
carcinogen, it has a half-life of about 24,000 years.
* According to a recent report from the Government Accountability Project,
workers at Pantex who have complained about safety issues – including
disconnected radiation alarms, leaks of radioactive tritium, and burned-out
emergency lights – have been subjected to psychiatric examinations. The group
said that the exams could be seen as “a tool for intimidating employees.”
– Robert Bryce
This article appears in October 20 • 1995 and October 20 • 1995 (Cover).