Trent Lott: “First and foremost, the restoration of tritium production is absolutely critical. Without tritium, our entire nuclear…”

“First and foremost, the restoration of tritium production is absolutely critical. Without tritium, our entire nuclear deterrent would be left inoperable. Our nuclear warheads cannot function without replacement tritium. And time is wasting. For those who do not know, tritium is a radioactive gas that is an essential component of modern nuclear weapons. It decays at a rate of five-and-a-half percent per year, so it has to be continually replaced. We have not produced tritium in this country since 1988, when the reactors at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina were shut down. Since that time the Department of Energy has examined countless options and technologies, but has not yet selected a new source. We cannot afford to delay this program. The potential costs of delay are too great.”