Evening star., 1952-07-20
Acc, With Big Grant,
Pushes Expansion Of
Family Of Weapons
By the Assoeioted Press

The Atomic Energy Commits
sion, granted almost So billion
in the closing days of the last
Congress, is pushing a huge ex-
panSion program to develop a
complete family" of atomic
weapons.
An Acc spokesman said site
for a new $1,259,500,000 gaseous
diffusion plant probably will be
selected and announced within the
next few weeks. The Acc has in
dicated it will be located some
where in the Ohio River Valley.
Expansion probably will be
started first at the Oak Ridge,
Tenn, and Paducah. KY, plants,
the spokesman said.
The supplemental appropria-
tions bill providing $2,898, 800, 600
for atomic expansion includes
about AGA million for Oak Ridge
and $459 million for Paducah.
Dean Explains Purpose.
Acc Chairman Gordon Dean
told Congress of the whole ex-
pansion program "iS to gain
precious time by achieving mini
mum stockpile objectives estab-
lished by the Department of De-
tense. and to achieve them about
four and one-half to five years
earlier than we would achieve
them if We went at our present
rate"
Time is the key factor, he said.
in developing a family of atomic
weapons for use not only by the
Air Force but by the Army on
the ground and the Navy at sea.
Some of this new capacity
will first be producing weapon
material in 1954-not six years
from now," he promised. "Our
effort is directed to getting the
entire capacity into operation
just as soon as we possibly can.
To do this we have to proceed
at one on all sites"
Location Still Secret.
The Acc has given no hints
about exactly where its vast
gaseous diffusion plant will be 10
Gated.
Gaseous diffusion is a process
for separating fashionable uran-
ium-235 from uranium as it oc-
ours in nature. At present this
process is the only one knownl
to be in use in the United States
Site surveys have been made
in Kentucky, Ohio. Tennessee,
Indiana, Illinois and West Vir-
ginia. And delegations from each
of these Ohio Valleys States have
conferred with. Acc officials inI
efforts to get the big atomic
plant built in their areas.
While the Acc decides on the
site for the big plant, it will
go ahead with preliminary plans
for the project.
The amount provided for expan-
sion in the bill finally passed by
Congress and signed by the Pres
ident was about $293 million short
of the Acc request for $3.191 .000,-
900, but the Acc said this will
permit it to go ahead full scale
anyway.
Operating Funds Increased.
In addition to the construction
funds provided. in the bill. the
Acc got 5000, 900 for increased
operating expenses.
The development program calls
for SAIL million for expansion of
facilities at the Hanford, Wash,
plant and $171 million for addi-I
tional facilities at the Savannah,
S. c.. atomic centers.
Work on these additions prob
ably will get under way some
time after new construction isl
started at Paducah and Oak Ridge, /
the Acc said.
The remainder of the atomic ex-
pansion program calls for about
$11.5 million for expansion of plant
capacity to supply additional fis-
Sionable materials to the atomic
centerS. It also includes about sal
million for expansion of ''fabri-
cation facilities" phrase which
the Acc did not explain; SIS mil
lion for additional community fe-
cilities at existing plants and $94.5
million for construction require
mentS in the base program.