US Plans to Hand over Weapons-Grade Plutonium to Private Businesses

The United States plans to sell weapons-grade plutonium from Cold War-era warheads to private companies.

According to The New York Times, the US Department of Energy is in talks with five companies to transfer over 50 tons of it as fuel for a new generation of nuclear reactors.

This approach is expected to help partially address the nuclear fuel shortage and reduce the country's dependence on foreign supplies.

The initiative has already raised concerns among non-proliferation experts, as the plutonium could potentially be used for military purposes.