---

• n  a solid silvery grey radioactive transuranic element whose atoms can be split when bombarded with neutrons; found in minute quantities in uranium ores but is usually synthesized in nuclear reactors; 13 isotopes are known with the most important being plutonium 239

• Russia, facing a mounting outcry to keep its weapons-grade plutonium under tighter control, said it had arrested smugglers on its own soil.
• German authorities disclosed the weekend arrest of a 34-year-old man for smuggling weapons-grade plutonium into Bremen, the fourth seizure in a widening scandal traced to ex .
• However, plutonium bombs have more potential to be miniaturized to fit on top of a missile, according to one expert, Ivan Oelrich of the Federation of American Scientists.

• Pu
• atomic number 94

News & Articles

---

• Leak in Hanford double-shell tank getting worse
  The leak in a massive underground double-shell nuclear waste tank at the Hanford Site has grown significantly since the leak was first announced to the public last fall, according to sources who have seen new inspection video and photographs. The tank -- known as AY-102 -- holds 860,000 gallons of radioactive waste generated during decades of plutonium production at the southeastern Washington ...
  June 13, 2013 - KING5 Seattle

Quotes

---

• Condoleezza Rice in FOXNews
  If we can verifiably determine the amount of plutonium that has been made, we then have an upper hand in understanding what may have happened in terms of weaponization,Rice said.
• Steve Coppell in Telegraph.co.uk
  To end its isolation, North Korea must address these concerns. It must dismantle all of its nuclear facilities, give up its separated plutonium, resolve outstanding questions on its highly enriched uranium and proliferation activities, and end... President Bush http://www.google.com/url?q=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush&source=dictionary&usg=AFQjCNFh0u2JMmcpgHHAEOKNoPb27FyIcg CNN International http://www.google.com/url?q=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/07/02/north.korea.weapons/&source=dictionary&usg=AFQjCNGPlAEv2aIYwMyFp2z4A3ZSfUlvaA Jul 2, 2008 75450 101824 ply To be fair to Nicky Shorey, he has made it clear from this time last year that he would prefer to leave and ply his trade elsewhere," said Coppell, who left Shorey out of the 1-1 pre-season draw with Aston Villa on Saturday. "There was a...