Atomic audit : the costs and consequences of U.S. nuclear weapons since 1940 / Stephen I. Schwartz, editor.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 625-652) and index.

1. Building the Bomb -- 2. Deploying the Bomb -- 3. Targeting and Controlling the Bomb -- 4. Defending against the Bomb -- 5. Dismantling the Bomb -- 6. Nuclear Waste Management and Environmental Remediation -- 7. Victims of the Bomb -- 8. The Costs and Consequences of Nuclear Secrecy -- 9. Congressional Oversight of the Bomb -- 10. The Economic Implications of Nuclear Weapons -- 11. Strengthening Atomic Accountability -- A. U.S. Nuclear Weapons Production Costs, 1948-96 -- B. Selected DOD Nuclear Weapons Program Costs, 1962-95 -- C. Nuclear Weapons Production and Naval Nuclear Propulsion Facilities -- D. Assessing the Costs of Other Nuclear Weapon States -- E. Steering Committee of the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Cost Study Project.

Based on four years of extensive research, Atomic Audit is the first book to document the comprehensive costs of U.S. nuclear weapons, assembling for the first time anywhere the actual and estimated expenditures for the program since its creation in 1940.

The authors provide a unique perspective on U.S. nuclear policy and nuclear weapons, tracking their development from the Manhattan Project of World War II to the present day and assessing each aspect of the program, including research, development, testing, and production; deployment; command, control, communications, and intelligence; and defensive measures.

They also examine the costs of dismantling nuclear weapons, the management and disposal of large quantities of toxic and radioactive wastes left over from their production, compensation for persons harmed by nuclear weapons activities, nuclear secrecy, and the economic implications of nuclear deterrence. Atomic Audit concludes with recommendations for strengthening atomic accountability and fostering greater public understanding of nuclear weapons programs and policies.