Six college reactors still use weapons-grade fuel

[Dover]

Aug. 14, 2004, 11:28PM

Six college reactors still use weapons-grade fuel
Experts fear the uranium could be stolen by terrorists
By MATTHEW L. WALD
New York Times

MADISON, WIS. - The University of Wisconsin's nuclear reactor, operated by students in T-shirts, has been used to identify the source of ancient pottery shards from India and to test whether heart stents work better if they have been irradiated.
Its fuel is weapons-grade uranium. If it were stolen, experts say, it could give terrorists or criminals a major head start on an atomic bomb.

And Wisconsin is not alone. Five other university research reactors around the country, including one at Texas A&M, use weapons-grade fuel, even though the government has promised for decades to substitute a less enriched variety.

Stealing the fuel at Wisconsin would not be easy. The reactor's radioactive core is in a pool of water 27 feet deep, in about two dozen bundles, each weighing 58 pounds. Still, experts say there is no reason to risk a theft, since the reactors could run on uranium not suitable for bombs.

Wisconsin, Texas A&M and the other universities — Oregon State, Washington State, Purdue and the University of Florida — acquired their uranium during the Cold War...cont'd

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2737080

[benburch]

1. General Atomics TRIGA Reactor...

A very simple device.

However, if you can manage to steal the fuel without dying in the process, it would mean that you had access to it for days without interruption.

Highly unlikely!

[BraveDave]

2. Here's an idea!

Write a news article telling everyone where they could possibly obtain weapons grade nuke fuel.

[Merlin]

4. This is a setup.

You can bet they have elaborate monitoring capabilities, and would love to lure a nuclear thief into the web.

[snowFLAKE]

5. This is most just Good Old-Fashioned Fear-Mongering

First, the term "College" in the headline implies a lower-level of expertise than "Major Research University" (which these institutions are).

Second, any Research University has many research-related items much more dangerous than these Nuclear Materials (HIV, for example . . .)

[boobooday]

3. They used to just steal mascots . . .

Sheesh.