For the first time in 15 years, the U.S. has declassified and released data on its inventory of highly-enriched uranium (HEU).
The data is as of September 30, 2013.
The fact sheet from the White House Press Secretary's office says “from 1996 to 2013, U.S. HEU inventories decreased from 740.7 metric tons to 585.6 metric tons. This reflects a reduction of over 20 percent.”
Further reductions in the inventory are “ongoing” according to the news release.
Some of the released data indicates that, of the inventory on September 30, 2013, 499.4 metric tons was for national security and non-national security programs like nuclear weapons and naval propulsion. The remaining amount, “41.6 metric tons was available for potential down-blend to low enriched uranium or, if not possible, disposal as low-level waste, and 44.6 metric tons was in spent reactor fuel.”
In 2010, President Obama said that “when the United States improves our own nuclear security and transparency, it encourages others to do the same.”
