>One seminal JASON study examined the lifetime of plutonium "pits" - the fissile material cores of nuclear weapons. The US stopped making pits in 1989 when the

>One seminal JASON study examined the lifetime of plutonium "pits" - the fissile material cores of nuclear weapons. The US stopped making pits in 1989 when the FBI & EPA shut down the production plant for rampant environmental damage. JASON was asked to assess how long pits last. >JASON concluded that, with reasoned stewardship, pits would last at least 85-100 years & perhaps longer. This was far longer than previous estimates of 40-60 years. It significantly increased confidence in the US nuclear stockpile. https://fas.org/irp/agency/dod/jason/pit.pdf https://fas.org/irp/agency/dod/jason/pit.pdf … >But that study was done back in 2006. Now the Department of Energy is seeking to start making more pits again, arguing that it must begin now because it will take decades to replace all the current pits at the planned production rate of 80 per year. >But remember that "at least 85-100 years" above? Congress has sensibly asked JASON to look at the issue again, 13 years later. Scientific techniques that artificially age plutonium provide even more data. However, I'm told that DOE is dragging their feet on finalizing the study. … >For more on JASON - which intentionally is a somewhat mysterious organization - see this excellent book by @AnnFinkbeiner, who relays the full history of the group: https://twitter.com/StephenUCS/status/1115925589918089217 https://twitter.com/StephenUCS/status/1115925589918089217