One thing you don't hear about much is how important the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) Tritium mission is to our national security.  Back in 2015, the Department released a document summarizing its plans and options for managing tritium and enriched uranium (EU) resources to satisfy U.S. national security demand through 2060. This document ( http://fissilematerials.org/library/doe15b.pdf) offers analyses of demand and supply scenarios, material use restrictions, production capabilities, production technologies, and cost estimates needed to meet future demand and presents potential actions to ensure an adequate supply of tritium and EU in support of national security objectives. At that time, the document stated that "the most pressing defense mission need is for tritium".

Tritium, although naturally occurring in minute quantities, must be manufactured to produce the quantities needed for National Security purposes. Maintaining the required supply of tritium is challenged by the fact that tritium radioactively decays to helium-3 (3He) at a rate of 5.5 percent per year. Thus, after 12.3 years, one-half of the DOE/NNSA tritium inventory is lost to decay. Because some tritium is lost to natural radioactive decay, replenishment through production is vital to ensuring that an adequate supply of tritium is available to support national security requirements.

For over 60 years, one of the Savannah River Site's primary missions has been the production of tritium for our Nation's nuclear deterrent. From the beginning, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has provided the technical foundation to ensure the successful execution of this critical defense mission. SRNL has developed most of the processes used in the tritium mission and provides the research and development necessary to supply this critical component of our Nation's nuclear stockpile.

Historically, SRNL designed the processes for tritium production in SRS heavy water reactors. Today, production occurs at the Tennessee Valley Authority. However, the processes for unloading target assemblies and reservoirs, isotopic separation, transfer, storage and reservoir loading, are developed by SRNL in close partnership and collaboration with Savannah River Site Tritium Operations and the National Nuclear Security Administration Weapons Design Agencies (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory).

The need and potential crisis of the US tritium mission was highlighted in a recent commentary provided below. It is well worth a read and may be alarming to some but there is some assurance in that fact that SRS has played such a prominent role in our national security and has done so safely for over 60 years.

Commentary: The looming crisis for US tritium production. http://www.defensenews.com/articles/commentary-the-looming-crisis-for-us-tritium-production

By: John R. Harvey and Franklin C. Miller. Harvey and Miller have among them several decades of experience serving in senior posts in the U.S. government overseeing nuclear weapons policies and programs, Harvey in the Departments of Energy and Defense and Miller in the Department of Defense and the NSC Staff.