US Government has lost track of 36,000 pounds of weapon-grade plutonium and uranium that was sent to foreign countries supposedly for research

The U.S. Is Unable To Account For 36k Pounds Of Weapons Grade Uranium And Plutonium

Robert Johnson|September 15, 2011

Under special nuclear cooperation agreements, the United States sent 38,580 pounds of enriched uranium and plutonium to more than two-dozen foreign agencies and is unable to account for 36,000 pounds of the material.

The Government Accountability Office report says these 27 cooperation agreements, set up to facilitate cross border research, have no accountability and the U.S. has no way to enforce control.

Because there is no reporting process in place, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has been visiting nuclear storage sites overseas when permitted, but has not regularly visited countries with the greatest risk of proliferation.