Campus Alert Archive
ISU

One Gram, 15 Years Unaccounted For: Idaho State University's Missing Weapons-Grade Plutonium

IDotheradvisorymedium confidence
Under Investigation

On October 13, 2017, Idaho State University reported to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it could not account for approximately 1 gram of weapons-grade plutonium-239 -- a sample originally loaned from the Idaho National Laboratory in 1991 and scheduled for disposal in 2003-2004. The NRC proposed an $8,500 fine for two violations related to failure to control and maintain surveillance of nuclear material and failure to provide complete and accurate information. No campus threat existed; the plutonium was too small in quantity to make a nuclear bomb, though officials noted it could theoretically contribute to a dirty bomb.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Idaho State University
Public Masters · ID
~12,700 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTUnknown
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from Gizmodo/Motherboard reporting on the NRC notification and from NRC enforcement documents related to the ISU plutonium-239 missing-material event reported October 13, 2017496 chars
Idaho State University Nuclear Engineering Department has determined during routine physical inventory that one sealed source container of plutonium-239, approximately 1 gram, originally received on loan from Idaho National Laboratory in 1991, cannot be located. The material was scheduled for disposal in 2003-2004 but disposal records are incomplete. ISU is notifying the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as required and is reviewing all available records pertaining to the material's disposition.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The 1-gram Pu-239 sample was one of 14 one-gram pieces originally loaned to ISU by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in 1991 for use as a nuclear accident dosimeter -- it measures radiation exposure in accident scenarios
In 2003, a routine leak test found the sample had lost its integrity; INL subsequently asked ISU to dispose of the sealed source itself in November 2004, but ISU produced no records confirming disposal
The quantity (1 gram) is insufficient to manufacture a nuclear device but is theoretically sufficient to contribute to a radiological dispersal device (dirty bomb), which is why the NRC escalated the matter
UPDATEWebsite
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from CBS News and NRC enforcement documentation on the proposed $8,500 penalty against Idaho State University533 chars
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a civil monetary penalty of $8,500 against Idaho State University for two violations: failure to control and maintain surveillance of licensed nuclear material (10 CFR 20.1801), and failure to provide complete and accurate information to the NRC (10 CFR 30.9). The violations stem from ISU's inability to account for approximately 1 gram of plutonium-239, a weapons-grade isotope, which was last documented in university records in 2003-2004. ISU is reviewing the proposed penalty.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

10 CFR 20.1801 requires licensees to control and maintain constant surveillance of licensed radioactive material; 10 CFR 30.9 requires complete and accurate information in NRC submittals
The $8,500 fine was the NRC's proposed penalty; ISU paid it on June 6, 2018, per NRC enforcement records
ISU's VP for Research Cornelis Van der Schyf publicly blamed 'partially completed paperwork from 15 years ago' as the root cause, suggesting the Pu-239 was likely disposed of but the documentation trail was broken
Context

Background

Idaho State University's Department of Nuclear Engineering and Health Physics in Pocatello, Idaho, held an NRC materials license permitting possession of various radiological sources for research and training. In 1991, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) loaned ISU 14 one-gram sealed sources of plutonium-239 -- a weapons-grade fissile isotope -- to be used as nuclear accident dosimeters, instruments that measure radiation dose in accident or criticality scenarios. A 2003 routine leak test found that one source had lost its integrity. In November 2004, INL instructed ISU to dispose of the degraded sample itself. No records confirming that disposal was ever completed were found when ISU conducted a routine physical inventory in October 2017. The university reported the discrepancy to the NRC on October 13, 2017. The NRC investigated and proposed an $8,500 civil penalty for two violations: failure to control the material (10 CFR 20.1801) and failure to provide complete and accurate information (10 CFR 30.9). ISU paid the fine on June 6, 2018. No campus emergency was declared because the missing material posed no immediate public hazard -- 1 gram of Pu-239 is far below weapons-grade critical mass and presents a very low direct radiation dose risk from external exposure given its primarily alpha-emitting nature. However, the NRC and security officials noted that the quantity could theoretically be used in a dirty bomb if it fell into the wrong hands, which drove the agency's enforcement response. The ISU VP for Research attributed the loss to incomplete disposal documentation from 15 years prior -- a paperwork gap rather than a security breach or theft.
Analysis

Key Findings

The plutonium-239 sample -- 1 gram, weapons-grade -- was unaccounted for since approximately 2003-2004, but the gap was not discovered until a 2017 physical inventory
ISU's root cause was a documentation failure: INL asked ISU to self-dispose in 2004, but records confirming disposal were never produced
The NRC proposed an $8,500 fine (paid June 6, 2018) for two violations -- failure to control nuclear material and failure to provide accurate information
No campus alert was issued; the material posed no immediate public health risk due to its quantity and primarily alpha-emitting nature
Outcome
NRC proposed an $8,500 civil penalty, which ISU paid on June 6, 2018. No recovery of the material was confirmed. No campus emergency alert was issued. ISU's vice president for research attributed the loss to incomplete paperwork from 15 years prior.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Source
    Idaho State University Lost Enough Plutonium to Make a Dirty Bomb (Newsweek / Gizmodo)
    gizmodo.com
  2. Source
    Idaho State University faces fine for losing plutonium (CBS News)
    cbsnews.com
  3. Source
    A Speck of Weapons-Grade Plutonium Is Missing in Idaho (Live Science)
    livescience.com
  4. Source
    Idaho State University Lost Some Weapons-Grade Plutonium (IFLScience)
    iflscience.com
Tags
plutoniummissing-radioactive-materialNRC-violationradiologicalnuclear-engineeringweapons-gradedocumentation-failurepublic-mastersIdahoUnder Investigation
Added June 2026Updated June 2026Via ingestion