Most of the nuclear stockpile in the United States has passed through the state of Texas at one point or another. The Pantex plant in Amarillo, built during World War II, has handled the weapons since the early days of the Cold War.
The plant was initially a place for the weapons to be assembled, but after the Cold War ended, it transitioned to a site for disassembly and maintenance.
"All those surplus weapons from the Cold War era have either been taken apart or are sitting waiting to be taken apart," Dylan Spaulding, a senior scientist in the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said. "And Pentax is the only place that does that."
Katie Paul is the plant's historian.
"One of our key missions is that we're making sure that the nuclear deterrent for our nation and our allies, those things are safe," she said. "If they are needed, they can be used, and we also are still working through dismantlement, like we're still doing that today."
Listen to Texas Wants to Know in the Audacy app or wherever you listen podcasts.