The Helium-3 Shortage: Supply, Demand, and Options for Congress
"The world is experiencing a shortage of helium-3, a rare isotope of helium with applications in
homeland security, national security, medicine, industry, and science. For many years the supply
of helium-3 from the nuclear weapons program outstripped the demand for helium-3. The
demand was small enough that a substantial stockpile of helium-3 accumulated. After the terrorist
attacks of September 11, 2001, the federal government began deploying neutron detectors at the
U.S. border to help secure the nation against smuggled nuclear and radiological material. The
deployment of this equipment created new demand for helium-3. Use of the polarized helium-3
medical imaging technique also increased. As a result, the size of the stockpile shrank. After
several years of demand exceeding supply, a call for large quantities of helium-3 spurred federal
officials to realize that insufficient helium-3 was available to meet the likely future demand..."