US's Most Powerful Nuclear Bomb Being Dismantled

SpuriousLogic sends this excerpt from an AP report: "The last of the nation's most powerful nuclear bombs — a weapon hundreds of times stronger than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima — is being disassembled nearly half a century after it was put into service at the height of the Cold War. The final components of the B53 bomb will be broken down Tuesday at the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, the nation's only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility. ... The weapon is considered dismantled when the roughly 300 pounds of high explosives inside are separated from the special nuclear material, known as the pit. The uranium pits from bombs dismantled at Pantex will be stored on an interim basis at the plant, Cunningham said. The material and components are then processed, which includes sanitizing, recycling and disposal, the National Nuclear Security Administration said last fall when it announced the Texas plant's role in the B53 dismantling."

Comments

Oops

[Tenek]

The final components will be accidentally dropped Tuesday at the Amarillo Crater...

Rather unfair

[Lucas123]

They should have at least tried to sell it on eBay first to recoup some of those tax dolars -- pick up only, of course.

Re:Good

[Qzukk]

B61 Mod 11

Doesn't that make it the B6?

Re:9 Megatons

[MachDelta]

Wait, I thought our standard unit of measurement around here was the LOC?
So, just how much damage does a LOC, when dropped from a great height, do to an urban area? Anyone know? This is Slashdot... someone knows.

Re:What a dumb idea

[dan828]

I've never quite gotten why "teabagger" is supposed to be an insult....I mean, you'd be the one doing the teabagging, right?

Re:9 Megatons

[GumphMaster]

So, just how much damage does a LOC, when dropped from a great height, do to an urban area?

One line of code? Not much, but you better make sure that line is appropriately licensed or the damage done by thousands of lawyers descending on your location will be devastating. :)