BBC Reports Plutonium "Missing" at English Power Plant
A BBC report today citing The Times as its source, claims an annual audit due to be published later will show that 30kg of plutonium is classified as "material unaccounted for" during 2004. The report indicates that this would be enough plutonium to manufacture seven nuclear bombs.
The Department of Trade and Industry said the audit "does not represent any material going missing," adding that, "It's not unusual for the accounting process to indicate material unaccounted for....Again, it's not an indication of any missing material." Last year the audit showed that there were 19kg of plutonium "missing" on the balance sheet.
The plant in question, Sellafield, processes thousands of tons of nuclear material every year.
I can understand how difficult it must be to tally up all that plutonium day after day and have it all balance out neatly at the end. On the other hand, I would be both encouraged and more likely to believe them if, every couple of years or so, the tally would indicate that they ended up with more plutonium than they should!
The Department of Trade and Industry said the audit "does not represent any material going missing," adding that, "It's not unusual for the accounting process to indicate material unaccounted for....Again, it's not an indication of any missing material." Last year the audit showed that there were 19kg of plutonium "missing" on the balance sheet.
The plant in question, Sellafield, processes thousands of tons of nuclear material every year.
I can understand how difficult it must be to tally up all that plutonium day after day and have it all balance out neatly at the end. On the other hand, I would be both encouraged and more likely to believe them if, every couple of years or so, the tally would indicate that they ended up with more plutonium than they should!
posted by Bird of Paradise at 8:54 PM
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