WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced the removal of 13.5 kilograms of enriched uranium from Venezuela’s RV-1 research reactor. The uranium, which had been unused since the reactor ceased operations in 1991, was securely transported to the U.S. for processing and reuse.

 DETAIL: Officials said 13.5 kilograms, or roughly 30 pounds, of uranium enriched above the 20 percent threshold was safely packaged and transported about 100 miles across Venezuela before being shipped by a specialized British nuclear transport vessel to the United States. The material arrived in early May and was transferred to the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, where it will be processed for reuse in advanced nuclear energy programs. The National Nuclear Security Administration described the operation as a significant nonproliferation success, noting the uranium had remained at the reactor since research activities ended in 1991. NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams credited President Donald J. Trump’s leadership for accelerating the mission, saying work that normally would have taken years was completed within months. The operation comes amid renewed diplomatic and commercial ties between Washington and Caracas following Trump’s ouster of Venezuela’s Marxist dictator, Nicolas Maduro.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 02:03 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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