As U.S. and European leaders tackle the proliferation of
weapons-grade uranium or plutonium in countries like Iran and
North Korea, industries are confronting the impact of loose
nuclear material in an international scrap-metal market worth at
least $140 billion, according to the Brussels-based Bureau of
International Recycling. Radioactive items used to power
medical, military and industrial hardware are melted down and
used in goods, driving up company costs as they withdraw tainted
products and threatening the public’s health.
‘Major Risk’
“The major risk we face in our industry is radiation,”
said Paul de Bruin, radiation-safety chief for Jewometaal
Stainless Processing BV, one of the world’s biggest stainless-
steel scrap yards. “You can talk about security all you want,
but I’ve found weapons-grade uranium in scrap. Where was the
security?”