1,400 pounds of copper stolen from Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

The Knoxville News has reported that multiple cases of copper being stolen from the Y-12 nuclear weapons complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee have taken place in recent years, including a single heist of 1,400 pounds worth. The thefts not only raise questions about security at what is supposed to be one of the most secure sites in the U.S. nuclear weapons complex -- storing large amounts of weapons-usable highly enriched uranium -- but also about radiological safety. Y-12 officials tracked down the missing 1,400 pounds of copper, in part to make sure it did not represent a radioactive hazard to the unsuspecting purchasers of the "hot" (but fortunately, not radioactive) copper.