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 federal spokesman confirmed Thursday evening that the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant inadvertently sent a larger-than-intended quantity of "special nuclear material" to a commercial facility earlier this summer.
The mistake reportedly wasn't discovered until the recipient notified Y-12 of the problem, spawning multiple investigations and raising questions about the adequacy of the government's accounting of materials of potential use in weapons.
In response to questions, Steven Wyatt of the National Nuclear Security Administration confirmed that the nuclear material was sent to a commercial facility licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
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