WEAPONEERS OF WASTE

0,59

MB

62

stron

4737

ID

Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.

2004

rok

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 5

Chapter 1: Real Funding Growth for Nuclear Weapons in a Budget Burdened by Deficits 10

The Science Campaign: Spending Billions to Make Sure Bombs "Perform" 13

Chapter 2: The Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrotest Facility (DARHT) 14

Chapter 3: Does the Nation Really Need Nukes with "Micro-Machines" Inside? 16

Chapter 4: Advanced Simulation and Computing Initiative (ASCI) Campaign 19

Haste Makes Waste: A Tale of Two Machines 22

Lobbying Congress for Even More Expensive, Unnecessary Goodies 25

Chapter 5: The National Ignition Facility (NIF) 27

Chapter 6: The Pit Manufacturing and Certification Campaign 32

Does America Really Need a "Modern Pit Facility?" 32

Chapter 7: Beware Warnings of an Impending Tritium Gap 36

Chapter 8: Conclusions and Recommendations 39

Recommendations for Congressional Action 41

Appendix: What Things Really Cost in the NNSA "Weapons Activities" Budget 44

Table A: Bush Spending Plan for Nuclear Weapons 45

A Busy Schedule at the Nevada Test Site 45

Advanced Radiography and Plutonium Avlis 46

Secondary Assessment Technologies 47

Engineering Campaigns 48

ICF and NIF 48

Table B: Cost Estimate of "Ignition-Ready" National Ignition Facility (NIF) Through FY 2009 49

Table C: Estimated Total Cost of "Ignition-Ready" NIF by 2014 50

Simulation Costs 51

Readiness Campaign 51

Table D: The NNSA Buildup in Nuclear Weapons Simulation Capacity 52

Table E: Funding for Advanced Design and Production Technologies 53

Tritium Costs 53

Table F: Tritium Capabilities Spending Estimate: FY 1996–FY 2004 54

Table G: Projected Tritium Capabilities Spending FY 2005–FY 2009 55

Readiness in Technical Base and Facilities 55

Glossary of Acronyms and Technical Terms 57

Endnotes 60