Several wildfires are scorching the Texas panhandle with thousands evacuated

Several wildfires are scorching the Texas panhandle with thousands evacuated

Wildfires sweeping across Texas briefly forced the evacuation of America’s main nuclear weapons facility as strong winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures fed the blaze.

Pantex Plant, the main facility that assembles and disassembles America’s nuclear arsenal, shut down its operations on Tuesday night as the Windy Deuce fire roared towards the Potter County location.

    • protistEnglish
      19·
      9 months ago

      They do maintenance on existing weapons, which require regular maintenance

    • nymwit@lemm.ee
      17·
      9 months ago

      Maintenance and disassembly are the other things listed. Also apparently ongoing remediation of contaminated perched groundwater, possibly soil work.

        • MotoAsh@lemmy.world
          61·
          9 months ago

          Yes? The US wanted to downsize after the cold war to save on maintenance. Not give up nukes entirely. Why the HELL would the US give up nukes entirely? At what point in US history have we ever given up a game changer like nuclear deterrance (as dumb as it is, war itself is dumb)?

        • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
          51·
          9 months ago

          What, you think taking apart nuclear missiles is something you do fast?

          We have like 3000 of them that are still active as well that this company maintaines too.