Bloody Idiots... US Making Plutonium 238

Stardate 4159.2

New York - The United States plans to produce highly radioactive plutonium 238 for the first time since the Cold War, The New York Times reported on Monday.

The newspaper quoted project managers as saying most, if not all, of the new plutonium was intended for secret missions. The officials would not disclose details, but the newspaper said the plutonium in the past powered espionage devices.

The Times said Timothy Frazier, head of radioisotope power systems at the U.S. Energy Department, vigorously denied in a recent interview any of the classified missions would involve nuclear arms, satellites or weapons in space.

“The real reason we’re starting production is for national security,” Frazier was quoted as saying.

National Security? This is sounding more and more like a threat to National Security.

When will these people learn, that in order to stop countries like Iran and North Korea from developing their own nuclear programs and possibly weapons, they should look at their own first. I am most serious when I say that if I was Iran right now, I would be doubling my efforts to enhance my nuke research, or at the least aquire some technology or even weapons. It isn't that the US would use them in an invasion of say, Iran, but the fact is, once they have some, they must be dealt with on a new playing field.

The program, which the newspaper said had raised concerns among environmentalists, would produce 330 pounds over 30 years at the Idaho National Laboratory. The program could cost $1.5 billion and generate over 50,000 drums of hazardous and radioactive waste, federal officials told the Times.

50,000 drums of hazardous and radioactive waste???? Shit! Where are they gonna dump that? One issue is the uses for this new plutonium 238, another is the effect on the countries that the US doesn't want to have nuclear programs, and now the waste! That is a seriosu consideration with environmentalists to be sure!

Plutonium 238 is hundreds of times more radioactive than plutonium 239, which is used in nuclear arms, according to the newspaper. Medical experts say inhaling even a speck posed a serious risk of lung cancer, the Times said.

This sounds like bad news. I mean it already was IMO, but what about one little accident, or perhaps the very terror attack the US is so desperately trying to avoid now? hundreds of times more radioactive.... Joy.

The newspaper said plutonium 238 had no central role in nuclear arms, but was valued for its steady heat that could be turned into electricity. Nuclear batteries made from it power spacecraft to go where sunlight is too dim to energize solar cells.

Federal and private experts not connected to the project were quoted as saying the new plutonium would likely power devices for espionage under the sea and on land.

Hopefully, if one of these espionage devices were shot down, or captured the supposed bad guys wouldn't know how to use the plutonium powering them. I mean how hard would it be to extract somethign liek that, and produce a few dirty bombs? Remember? Hundreds of times more radioactive...

"ONLY WE CAN HAVE NUKES DAMNIT!" Okay not a real quote, but anyone that hasn't pulled the wool over their own eyes can see what is happening.

Bloody Hypocrisy. Gotta hate it.