Beyond Nuclear International Weekly Digest, MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2026
Posted: 24th June 2026
In yet another alarming development coming out of the White House, private corporations proposing risky and untested startup reactors are to be provided access to plutonium, the trigger component in a nuclear bomb. And Beyond Nuclear gave its Dr. Judith H. Johnsrud Unsung Hero Award this year to Susan Mirsky of Massachusetts Peace Action.
BEYOND NUCLEAR INTERNATIONAL
Plutonium crosses the line
The Trump administration is proposing to allow private companies access to Cold War era leftover plutonium in order to convert it into fuel for risky new reactors that have yet to pass any kind of rigorous safety analysis. The move marks a dangerous commercialization of plutonium and would treat plutonium like a commodity with value, instead of as a long-lived lethal waste. One of the first companies to benefit is Oklo, on whose board the current Energy secretary, Chris Wright, used to sit and whose stock rose on the announcement.READ MORE
Susan Mirsky wins award
Susan Mirsky, a longtime peace and disarmament activist who also campaigns for an end to nuclear power, was the recipient of the 2026 Judith H. Johnsrud Unsung Hero Award, presented each year in memory of Johnsrud, a beloved former Beyond Nuclear board member. The award is presented each year during the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability’s DC Days. Mirsky is working to stop Massachusetts and other states from rolling back laws in place to prevent unfettered nuclear power expansion. READ MORE
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