The Nation - News from Dec. 5, 1988

The Savannah River Plant, the nation’s sole source of a critical nuclear weapons component, may not reopen until the end of 1989, months later than the Energy Department projected, it was reported. The later-than-projected restart is because of delays in implementing a department plan to overhaul training, safety, inspection, management and other operations at the plant, the New York Times reported. Savannah River is the nation’s only source of tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen used in nuclear weapons. Pentagon experts have said that if Savannah River did not have all three reactors operating by next summer, extraordinary steps might be needed, including deactivating warheads and taking the tritium for higher-priority weapons.