Yesterday, Secretary Chu and National Nuclear Security Administration Administrator Tom D'Agostino traveled to Amarillo, Texas, to visit NNSA's Pantex Plant, where the nation's nuclear stockpile is maintained and weapons are assembled and dismantled.
Pantex plays a vital role in President Obama's unprecedented nuclear security agenda by reducing the size of the stockpile and helping ensure its safety and effectiveness without nuclear testing.
Secretary Chu toured the facility, which spans nearly 18,000 acres, and spoke with employees there about the importance of their mission. He also took part in the dismantlement of the final W62 warhead, a major milestone as the U.S. reduces the number of nuclear weapons in its stockpile.
The W62 was designed by Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories. It was first deployed in the 1970s and was retired from service in March.
"I applaud the team here for working so diligently to ensure that the W62 dismantlement program was safely completed more than one full year ahead of schedule, and for their continued commitment to working in challenging environments to advance a critical national security mission," Secretary Chu said.