P.M. BRIEFING : U.S. Resumes Sales of Tritium
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WASHINGTON — The Energy Department said today it has resumed commercial sales of tritium after investigators concluded that missing amounts of the radioactive gas were not diverted for use in building nuclear warheads.
Energy Department spokesman Phil Keif said discrepancies over how much tritium was shipped to commercial customers had been resolved, except for the cases of two British companies, Surelite and Saunders-Roe Developments Ltd. An investigation is continuing. He said department officials had discounted the possibility that the missing amounts had been diverted to bomb production.
Tritium is used in biological and energy research and for production of luminous lights such as those used on airport runways, as well as signs, dials and watches. It is used in nuclear warheads to boost the weapons’ explosive power.
The Energy Department had announced last July that it was halting commercial sales until it could account for about 5 grams of missing tritium. Total annual commercial sales of the man-made gas are about 180 grams, it said.
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