Nuclear weapons are an existential threat to life on Earth and need to be abolished.

Concerned Citizens and other civil society groups are concerned about the nuclear weapons connections of US-based multinational corporations contracted to operate Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. Some new facilities being built or proposed at Chalk River Laboratories are aimed at handling tritium and plutonium, both of which are key ingredients in nuclear warheads.

The current owner/operator of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, “Nuclear Laboratory Partners of Canada,” assumed ownership in December 2025 under a 6-year, multibillion dollar contract with the Government of Canada. It consists of three US-based corporations: BWXT, Amentum, and Battelle. A fourth corporation, Kinectrics, was recently acquired by BWXT.

Here is what Perplexity Pro told us about nuclear weapons connections of BWXT, Amentum and Batelle.

BWXT

BWXT has significant connections to U.S. nuclear weapons programs through its work with government agencies and defense contracts.bwxt+1​

Key Contracts

BWXT manages high-consequence nuclear operations for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which oversees the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. In 2025, it secured a $1.5 billion contract from NNSA to build a uranium enrichment facility for defense applications, including tritium production—a key component in nuclear weapons.reuters+2​

Naval and Defense Roles

The company manufactures nuclear reactor components for U.S. Navy submarines and aircraft carriers, including Virginia-class and Columbia-class vessels, under multi-billion-dollar contracts like a $2.6 billion award in 2025. BWXT holds licenses for depleted uranium fabrication for defense and has handled highly enriched uranium from down-blended nuclear weapon cores.reddit+3​

Historical Context

BWXT was previously involved in tritium production for the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Subsidiaries like Nuclear Fuel Services support these government programs.dontbankonthebomb+1​

Amentum

Amentum has substantial nuclear weapons connections through U.S. and UK defense contracts for weapons facilities, plutonium processing, tritium operations, and national security sites.amentum+2​

U.S. Weapons Complex

Amentum manages the Pantex Plant (nuclear weapons assembly/disassembly) and Y-12 National Security Complex (uranium components for weapons) under a $28 billion NNSA contract via NPOne JV. It supports Los Alamos plutonium facilities, Savannah River pit production, and naval nuclear propulsion for ballistic missile submarines.amentum+3​

Plutonium and Remediation

The company decommissions plutonium-contaminated facilities at U.S. sites like Hanford’s Plutonium Finishing Plant and UK’s Low Level Waste Repository, plus Portsmouth uranium enrichment for weapons.amentum+2​

UK AWE (Atomic Weapons Establishment)Involvement

Amentum serves as Delivery Partner for AWE’s Enriched Uranium Components Programme at Aldermaston, handling enriched uranium for UK nuclear warheads, decommissioning gloveboxes, and program management.amentum+2​

Battelle

Battelle Memorial Institute has deep historical and ongoing connections to nuclear weapons programs, including direct contributions to the Manhattan Project and management of key NNSA national laboratories involved in weapons research.battelle+2​

Manhattan Project Role

During World War II, 400 Battelle researchers fabricated plutonium from uranium for atomic bomb cores. This work positioned Battelle as a leader in nuclear research, including extruding uranium fuel for early reactors at Oak Ridge.wikipedia+2​

National Labs Management

Battelle manages or co-manages eight DOE national labs central to nuclear security, such as Los Alamos National Laboratory (plutonium pits for weapons via Triad National Security, LLC), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Savannah River National Laboratory (nuclear materials management). These labs support stockpile stewardship, pit production, and nuclear deterrence under NNSA.battelle+4​

Additional Ties

Battelle developed nuclear fuel rods for naval reactors like the USS Nautilus and provided Environment, Health and Safety support at Pantex Plant, the primary site for weapons assembly/disassembly. It oversees chemical weapons demilitarization and biodefense tied to nuclear security missions.battelle+3​

References:

BWXT

1. https://www.bwxt.com/sectors/complex-site-operations/nuclear-operations/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BWX_Technologies
3. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/bwx-technologies-secures-15-billion-contract-us-nuclear-weapons-agency-2025-09-16/
4. https://www.ans.org/news/2025-09-17/article-7374/nnsa-awards-bwxt-15b-defense-fuels-contract/
5. https://www.reddit.com/r/UraniumSqueeze/comments/1nz1a3c/is_bwxt_the_overlooked_sleeping_nuclear_tech/
6. https://www.bwxt.com/bwxt-announces-2-6-billion-in-contracts-for-naval-nuclear-reactor-components/
7. https://www.dontbankonthebomb.com/bwxt/
8. https://cardinalnews.org/2024/07/05/lynchburg-firm-aims-to-advance-nuclear-technology-in-space/
9. https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/bwxt-launches-advanced-nuclear-fuel-subsidiary
10. https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/2025/Q4/purdue-bwxt-forge-strategic-collaboration-to-advance-nuclear-innovation

Amentum

1. https://www.amentum.com/our-capabilities/mission-modernization-sustainment/nuclear-security-and-deterrence/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amentum_(company)
3. https://www.amentum.com/news/amentum-team-awarded-28-billion-y-12-national-security-complex-and-pantex-plant-management-contract/
4. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/bwx-technologies-secures-15-billion-contract-us-nuclear-weapons-agency-2025-09-16/
5. https://www.amentum.com/project/supporting-our-nations-weapons-defense-system-with-advanced-conduct-of-operations-and-best-in-class-operational-readiness-at-los-alamos-national-laboratory-lanl/
6. https://www.amentum.com/news/amentum-team-awarded-21-billion-integrated-mission-completion-contract-at-the-savannah-river-site/
7. https://www.amentum.com/project/decommissioning-plutonium-contaminated-material-facilities-at-the-llwr-uk/
8. https://www.amentum.com/news/amentum-led-jv-helps-treat-and-dispose-of-nuclear-waste-in-hanford/
9. https://virginiabusiness.com/amentum-led-team-receives-5-87b-nuke-cleanup-contract/
10. https://www.amentum.com/project/enriched-uranium-components-programme/
11. https://www.bwxt.com/sectors/complex-site-operations/nuclear-operations/
12. https://www.onr.org.uk/publications/regulatory-reports/site-specific-reports/inspection-records/2024/08/atomic-weapons-establishment-aldermaston-inspection-id-53309

Battelle

1. https://www.battelle.org/history/space-age
2. https://www.battelle.org/laboratory-management
3. https://www.bwxt.com/sectors/complex-site-operations/nuclear-operations/
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battelle_Memorial_Institute
5. https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-07/DEC%20-%20Battelle%20%20Memorial%20Institute%20signed%201-23-1983.pdf
6. https://matternews.org/voices/anduril-teach-in-highlights-ohio-states-long-developed-military-connections/
7. https://www.latinousa.org/2025/10/28/armsracelosalamos/
8. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/bwx-technologies-secures-15-billion-contract-us-nuclear-weapons-agency-2025-09-16/
9. https://www.battelle.org/markets/national-security/cbrne-defense/threat-awareness
10. https://www.ornl.gov/content/who-we-are-and-who-we-arent
11. https://news.tamus.edu/texas-am-system-part-of-bwxt-led-team-awarded-30-billion-management-and-operating-contract-for-national-nuclear-security-administrations-pantex-plant/
12. https://inside.battelle.org/blog-details/operating-large-research-infrastructure-requires-a-wide-variety-of-skilled-professionals

The photo above shows Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, 180 km upstream of Ottawa Gatineau on the Ottawa River. It is now wholly owned by US based corporations with extensive ties to nuclear weapons production.