For anyone who’s traveled on interstate highways out West with convoys of trucks all around will know why this item makes me shudder.  Nuclear warheads are being trucked from Washington state to the Texas panhandle for a bit of upkeep.  The trucks are said to be speciallly equipped to keep the warheads from being a danger.

Knowing warheads are coming through would be disturbing, so those entertaining this traffic are being left unaware of when they go through.

Eight of the Navy’s 14 ballistic-missile submarines are based at Bangor, so about 900 to 1,000 warheads are to be transported from and returned to Kitsap County in special unmarked tractor trailers. Each trailer can carry several warheads at a time.

The NNSA’s Office of Secure Transportation conducts the shipping. Scripps Howard News Service could not reach anyone from the office or the Navy for comment, but the NNSA’s website says the office has safely completed 100 percent of its shipments without compromising or losing a nuclear weapon or component, or releasing radioactive material.

In November, the Energy Department inspector general’s office said it reviewed 16 alcohol-related incidents involving agents, candidate-agents and others from the Office of Secure Transportation from 2007 through 2009. They included an agent arrested for public intoxication and two agents detained by police after a bar fight.

Live transport of nuclear weapons is always associated with risks, Kristensen said.

See, didn’t feel a thing did you?  Okay, since this is an item that is associated with possible public reaction, I actually do not believe that it’s done and past.  I do believe you will never know unless there’s an accident.   As in the case of the explosion on Horizon Well in the Gulf, if there is an accident, you will not be able to escape knowing.

The START Treaty is before a congress that has too many members totally disassociated from public interests or safety concerns.