NNSA, Y-12 completes certifying B61-13 canned subassemblies
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Plutonium Pit Production
Nuclear skeptics seek release of pit production documents during comment period
A coalition of watchdog organizations is pressing the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to release three documents it argues are essential to public review of the agency’s draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for expanded plutonium pit production. The South Carolina Environmental Law Project (SCELP) – which is representing Savannah River Site Watch, Tri-Valley CAREs […]
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Delivery Systems & Nuclear Triad
GAO: Nuclear modernization programs show mixed progress
The Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) latest report of major defense acquisition programs found that while several nuclear modernization efforts continue to advance through development and testing, the Sentinel program remains burdened by significant cost, schedule and design challenges. In its annual review of weapon systems released last week, GAO said the Air Force’s Sentinel intercontinental […]
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Innovation & Infrastructure
DOE expects Genesis Mission to double R&D productivity over next decade
The Department of Energy expects its artificial intelligence-focused Genesis Mission to double productivity of the nation’s research and development (R&D) enterprise over the next decade, Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil said during an Amazon Web Services event. “Ultimately, we seek to double the productivity and impact of America’s trillion-dollar-a-year R&D engine within a decade,” […]
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International
EPC warns NATO cannot rely solely on U.S. nuclear deterrence
An analyst with the European Policy Centre (EPC) warned NATO’s evolving defense posture must preserve a credible conventional military presence in Europe, arguing that nuclear guarantees alone are insufficient to deter Russia. In an op-ed published this week, EPC policy analyst Juraj Majcin said the alliance’s shift toward greater European responsibility for conventional defense — […]
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Advanced Nuclear & SMRs
Standard Nuclear moves forward to become a public company
Oak Ridge, Tenn.-based Standard Nuclear proposed its initial public offering (IPO) Tuesday just weeks after the company filed its IPO with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in mid-June. The advanced nuclear fuel company Standard Nuclear said in a Tuesday press release it is launching its “roadshow” for its proposed IPO of 18.25 million shares […]
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Uranium Enrichment & Fuel Cycle
U.S. uranium production sees large increase in 2025, EIA reports
The United States nearly doubled its uranium production last year from its 2024 total as the country’s renewed interest in nuclear power continues to materialize. In the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Domestic Uranium Production Report, published June 23, the U.S. uranium mines produced 1.38 million pounds of triuranium octoxide (U3O8) in 2025. This was […]
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Contracts & Procurement
BWXT completes Precision Components Group acquisition
BWX Technologies (BWXT) completed its acquisition of Precision Components Group (PCG), finalizing a deal first announced in April that aims to expand the company’s U.S. heavy-manufacturing capacity for commercial nuclear components, according to a company press release Monday. PCG, which includes subsidiaries Precision Custom Components and DC Fabricators, manufactures heat-transfer components for the commercial sector, […]
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Plutonium Pit Production
Los Alamos investigating furnace glovebox fire inside plutonium facility
Officials at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico are investigating a June 15 furnace fire inside a glovebox at the laboratory’s plutonium facility after operators observed smoke and flames during recovery and purification operations. The incident prompted an emergency response but caused no injuries, radiological release or damage beyond the affected equipment, according to […]
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Transuranic Waste
Hanford shipments to WIPP could start in a year
The Department of Energy’s Hanford Site in Washington state continues to prepare to ship transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico and could start sending drums there within a year, according to a Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) update. In a DNFSB resident inspector report for the week ended […]
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Uranium Enrichment & Fuel Cycle
Wrap up: Centrus joins S&P SmallCap; Aleut does Oak Ridge business support; Obituary
Centrus Energy will join the S&P SmallCap 600 Index before markets open July 14, a move the company said reflects its growing role in rebuilding the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain and expanding domestic uranium enrichment capacity. “Our invitation into the S&P SmallCap 600 reflects the progress our team has made and the expanding role […]
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Advanced Nuclear & SMRs
Publication Notice: Guest column
On the Exchange Monitor homepage is a guest opinion editorial with in-depth analysis on public-private partnership in fusion research. “Guest Column: Former lab execs on fusion’s promise: Leveraging public-private Partnership for 21st century deterrence” by Paul Hommert, former director of Sandia National Laboratories, and Bob Webster, former deputy lab director at Los Alamos National Laboratory, […]