Y-12 shipped 10 times too much bomb-grade uranium

In this Aug. 17, 2012, file photo, signs warn against trespassing onto the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
In this Aug. 17, 2012, file photo, signs warn against trespassing onto the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

OAK RIDGE - A July 13 shipment from the Y-12 National Security Complex to a company in New York contained 10 times the intended amount of bomb-grade uranium, violating multiple regulations and resulting in a $33,620 fine.

According to documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the shipment contained 1,000 grams of highly enriched uranium - more than 93 percent U-235, the fissionable isotope - instead of the intended 100 grams.

The National Nuclear Security Administration, in response to questions earlier this fall, confirmed there was a shipping error involving "special nuclear material," but declined to say how much material was involved, the type of material or where it was sent.

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