OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (AP) — The Y12 nuclear weapons plant at Oak Ridge will continue to refurbish nuclear warheads through at least 2028, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reports there was some concern that the Y-12 plant might run out of the purified lithium used to refurbish the warheads as early as 2018.
The government now says it has identified "other sources" of the lithium without identifying those sources.
NNSA spokesman Brigadier General Stephen L. Davis says officials are projecting there's enough lithium to get through 2028 without any concern.
Separate government reports out last year raised questions about Y-12's ability to meet its future lithium needs until a planned production facility comes online in the 2025 time frame.