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NUCLEAR
PROLIFERATION UPDATE
November 2009
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NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION UPDATE to come clean on what is spent by much of this money will be misallocat-
is dedicated to promoting peaceful resolu- whom, and where. ed, or simply lost. Huge cost overruns
tions to the nuclear crises in North Korea The motivations of these interests in have been common with OEM cleanup
and Iran. It aims to provide policy makers concealing the costs of our nuclear pro-jects. But when House and Senate
with analysis on the latest developments in weapons are clear. Still, such efforts might conferees ultimately shifted money away
both nations and options for formulating ultimately prove counterproductive if from cleanup and into weapons pro-
coherent U.S. responses. In highlighting the taxpayers and their representatives in grams, the move seemed grounded
importance of achieving diplomatic solu- Congress are unable to determine with chiefly in parochialism—not concerns
tions, the goal is to avoid armed conflict confidence that billions of dollars are over OEM’s poor track record.
and its attendant consequences. being allocated properly and efficiently. Nuclear weapons–related spending
What little we do know suggests that they might be warranted if the money was
HARRISON MOAR are not. likely to advance American security, and
Managing Editor; For example, from the publicly avail- do so at a reasonable cost. Programmatic
hmoar@cato.org
able data, the Department of Energy reforms, beginning with a full and public
receives the lion’s share of the dollars accounting of all spending, are essential
CO NTR I B UTO RS: connected to the care and feeding of the to making this a reality. The public
DOUG BANDOW nation’s nuclear arsenal. Indeed, DoE should demand greater transparency,
Senior Fellow funding is relatively transparent as com- consistent with the obvious need to
pared with spending within DoD and maintain operational security at our
TED GALEN CARPENTER
VP for Defense and Foreign the intelligence agencies. Given its rela- nuclear weapons facilities, and should
Policy Studies tive openness, however, it is somewhat hold government officials accountable
ironic that DoE has developed a reputa- for poor performance within their respec-
JUSTIN LOGAN tion for mismanagement. tive agencies. The pattern documented
Associate Director of Foreign Of particular concern is the Office of here, however, suggests that abuse and
Policy Studies Environmental Management, which was waste will persist so long as we choose to
CHRISTOPHER A. PREBLE authorized to spend $5.6 billion on envi- maintain an enormous nuclear arsenal of
Director of Foreign Policy Studies ronmental cleanup and nuclear waste dubious practical utility. ■
disposal in FY 2010. It is reasonable to —The author thanks Harrison Moar for his
expect, based on past experience, that invaluable assistance on this article.