*** PSR NEWS ALERT *** Physicians for Social Responsibility 1101 Fourteenth Street, N.W., Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20005 Telephone (202) 898-0150 Fax (202) 898-0172 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 4, 1997 CONTACT: 202-898-0150 Arms Control Group Blasts Clinton Administration Decision to Conduct Underground Nuclear Weapons Experiments in Nevada (Washington, DC) - In response to a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announcement that it will conduct a series of underground, "subcritical" nuclear weapons experiments, Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) reiterated its charge that "the experiments are unnecessary to maintain a safe and reliable nuclear arsenal, are unnecessary to maintain the readiness to resume nuclear testing, and undermine the goal of implementing the recently signed Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)." "We are very disappointed that Secretary Pena and the Clinton Administration have decided to pursue a series of underground nuclear weapons experiments at the Nevada Test Site. The high international political and non-proliferation costs far outweigh the dubious technical utility of the experiments. We reiterate our call for the immediate cancellation of these experiments," said Daryl Kimball, Director of Security Programs for PSR. The Department of Energy announced that it will conduct two experiments this year at the Nevada Test Site, at an underground complex formerly-known as the Low-Yield Nuclear Explosions Research (LYNER) facility. The first subcritical experiment is scheduled for June 1997 with a second experiment later this fall. Additional subcritical experiments are also planned. "Although the independent JASONs scientific group has said 'these particular experiments will add valuable scientific information to our database relevant to the performance of our nuclear weapons,' the DOE has not demonstrated that it cannot maintain the safety of the existing nuclear arsenal without subcritical experiments or that these experiments are essential at this time to carry out current policy directives," charged Kimball. "There is no evidence to date to suggest that potential problems such as plutonium aging have degraded the performance of the weapons designs in the active U.S. arsenal. The DOE has failed to conduct an independent, technical review of the need for these activities," said Kimball. Many arms control observers and diplomatic officials also believe that conducting the underground subcritical experiments would have a severe and negative impact on securing the formal entry-into-force of the CTBT, which requires the ratification of the Treaty by 44 named nuclear weapons-capable states. "The Clinton Administration has also failed to conduct a thorough evaluation the nuclear arms control and non-proliferation impacts of conducting such activities, particularly the impact of such experiments on the U.S. goal of securing the entry-into-force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty," added Kimball. The DOE announcement comes on the eve of an international meeting on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that will convene in New York from April 7 to April 18. According to Mr. Kimball, "The U.S. subcritical experiments may add to the difficulty of securing the support for the CTBT from some nuclear capable states such as India and Pakistan, which are concerned that the United States may be able to continue nuclear weapons development through the laboratory-based, "stockpile stewardship" programs, including activities such as subcritical experiments." Though the Clinton Administration and the DOE claim that the subcritical experiments are allowed under the recently-signed "zero-yield" CTBT, Kimball also noted that "the experiments would set an unfortunate precedent that could complicate the ability of the U.S. and other states to verify that the terms of the CTBT are not violated by any nation. The recently-signed CTBT, prohibits "any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion." The DOE asserts that the "subcritical" experiments will not violate the letter of the CTBT because they are not designed to produce a release of energy (i.e. explosion) from a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. ---- PSR is a national organization with 20,000 members committed to the prevention of nuclear war, the elimination of nuclear weapons, and to address the environmental and health impacts of nuclear arms production. You may contact PSR for additional information on subcritical experiments and the CTBT. ******************************************************* SUBCRITICAL EXPERIMENTS April 1, 1997 By Bruce Hall, Greenpeace WHAT ARE THEY? The Department of Energy plans two "subcritical" nuclear weapons- related experiments at the Nevada Test Site in 1997. Four Subcritical tests are in the works for 1998. More will take place in 1999. The Department of Energy claims that these underground experiments, involving high explosives and either nuclear weapons plutonium or uranium, are designed not to produce a self- sustaining nuclear reaction. The plutonium or uranium involved will fall short of a critical mass - thus the term "subcritical." These experiments are part of the U.S. efforts to maintain the ability to "break out" or the recently signed Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty should a president decide to resume full-scale testing. They are being used, among other reasons, to maintain test "readiness." The experiments will help nuclear weapons scientists at Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories advance the frontiers of nuclear weapons science. Specifically, the data gleaned from these experiments will be plugged into the world's fastest supercomputers so that weaponeers will be able to better predict nuclear weapons performance in the absence of nuclear testing. WHEN The first experiment code-named REBOUND has been designed by Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. The second experiment codenamed HOLOG has been designed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The Department of Energy has announce that REBOUND will take place in June. Secretary of Energy, Pena voiced support for conducting these test during confirmation hearings early this year. The 1997 experiments do not involve actual nuclear warheads. In laypeoples' terms they involve strips of plutonium placed next to conventional explosives about 900 feet underground. There is noting to guarantee that future experiments will not involve actual nuclear weapons or prototype warheads. DOE officials say the tests are also necessary to assess the way in which age affects the plutonium and uranium in nuclear weapons. The DOE plans to conduct ICEBOUND, ASH, BOOMERANG and BEECH in 1998. The Energy Department originally planned to begin conducting subcritical experiments in 1996, but they were forced to postpone the tests because of their potential negative impact on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty negotiations. Grassroots opposition and the concern of several delegations at the test ban negotiations were key to achieving this postponement. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THESE TESTS The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty was signed on September 24, 1996. It bans "nuclear weapons test explosions and any other nuclear explosions." Its known loosely as a zero yield treaty, but the terms "nuclear weapons test explosions" and "nuclear explosions" were not defined. Because these experiments don't produce a yield, DOE officials argue that they are within the letter of the treaty. Critics charge that they certainly violate the spirit of the treaty. The U.S. commitment to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty should be seen as nothing less than permanent. Maintaining a breakout ability by conducting these experiments undermines the integrity of that important and disarmament and non-proliferation measure. Conducting these underground nuclear weapons tests at the Nevada Test Site can only raise questions about U.S. compliance with the recently signed Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. We will make the already daunting task of verifying that treaty more difficult. The U.S. will create a norm under which the Russians or Chinese could feel justified in conducting similar underground nuclear weapons tests at Novay Zemlya and Lop Nor. We will make the already daunting task of verifying that treaty more difficult. Several non-nuclear countries have voiced concern that the U.S. is continuing nuclear weapons development in spite of the recently signed Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. These experiments will only serve to validate those concerns and may stiffen the resistance to the test ban from such key countries as India. WHAT THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION SHOULD DO Cancel these tests. They are out of step with the growing momentum toward nuclear disarmament. Close the Nevada Test Site and seek agreement among Russia and China to formally close their test sites as well. France has closed and is vacating their South Pacific test sites at Moruroa and Fangataufa. ABOUT THE NEVADA TEST SITE and U.S. NUCLEAR TESTING The U.S. had conducted a total of 934 tests in Nevada between 1951 and 1992. 100 of those were above ground. The United States has conducted a total of 1,054 nuclear tests. The United States tested nuclear weapons in New Mexico, Colorado, Mississippi, Alaska, Nevada, the South Atlantic and throughout the South Pacific. The Nevada Test Site lies about 90 miles north of Las Vegas. The United Spends over $100 million annually to maintain readiness at the Nevada Test Site. The subcritical experiments cost roughly $10 million each. **FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce Hall at Greenpeace's Nuclear Disarmament Campaign: 202 319 2514.