The Apollo Affair, or the NUMEC Affair, refers to a 1965 incident involving the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation (NUMEC), a company based in Apollo and Parks Township, Pennsylvania. NUMEC was investigated for the loss of 200–600 pounds (91–272 kg) of highly enriched uranium, with suspicions that it may have been diverted to Israel's nuclear weapons program.

From 1965 to 1980, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) examined the activities of Zalman Shapiro, NUMEC's president, focusing on the disappearance of approximately 206 pounds (93 kg) of this material. Shapiro, a known Zionist, had business ties and contacts with high-ranking Israeli officials, including a contract to develop nuclear-powered generators for Israel. Multiple agencies, including the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and various reporters, also conducted investigations. Despite these efforts, no charges were ever filed against Shapiro or NUMEC.

Theories about the missing uranium vary. Some speculate it was illicitly transferred to Israel, supported by Shapiro’s connections and visits from Israeli officials, though no definitive evidence has confirmed this. Others, including journalist Seymour Hersh in his 1991 book The Samson Option, suggest the uranium was not diverted but rather lost to environmental contamination in Apollo, ending up in the air, water, and facility infrastructure. A later investigation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, after NUMEC was sold to Babcock & Wilcox and Shapiro had left, found an additional 198 pounds (90 kg) missing between 1974 and 1976, further complicating the narrative.

The incident remains unresolved, with lingering questions about whether it was a case of mismanagement, environmental loss, or covert diversion. It continues to be a point of discussion regarding nuclear security and U.S.-Israel relations during that era.

Full Explainer with declassified documents: The NUMEC Affair: Did Highly Enriched Uranium from the U.S. Aid Israel's Nuclear Weapons Program?

We, the Armstrong County Libertarian Party and truth seekers everywhere, urge the 47th President of the United States Donald J. Trump, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Kash Patel, United States Attorney General Pam Bondi, United States Representative and leader of the Task Force on Declassification of Federal Secrets Anna Paulina Luna, the United States Congress, and any other party with authority to declassify and release, fully unredacted, all documents related to NUMEC and the Apollo Affair to the public.

Activate The Grassroots

• We've launched a Change.org petition. Sign our petition here.

• Regular social media posts using #DeclassifyNUMEC

• Gather support for the initiative from Libertarians across the Commonwealth at the 2025 LPPA Convention in Cranberry, PA.

• Launch an official press release announcing the initiative.

• Release regular rounds of op-eds across Pennsylvania pushing the issue.

• Organize a Town Hall to discuss the initiative, the SLDA cleanup, and the lingering impact on our community.

Boosting Our Reach

1. • Urge the Libertarian National Committee to endorse and promote the initiative.

   • Host a webinar featuring leading NUMEC Truth voices like Ryan Dawson, Grant Smith, and Dr. Robert J. Mattson.

   • Partner with advocacy groups such as antiwar.com, the National Security Archive, and the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy.

   • Promote the initiative to libertarian influencers such as Dave Smith, Tom Woods, and Clint Russell.

Focus Momentum Into Direct Action

1. • A nationally coordinated phonebanking blitz to the offices of US Senator John Fetterman, US Senator Dave McCormick, US Representatives from Pennsylvania, Representative Anna Paulina Luna, the FBI Headquarters, and the US Department of Justice.

   • Launch full-scale FOIA Requests.

   • Request meetings with US Senator John Fetterman, US Senator Dave McCormick, US Representatives from Pennsylvania, and Representative Anna Paulina Luna.

   • File an ISCAP Appeal.

   • Organize a rally in Washington, D.C.

H.R. ____

The Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation Transparency Act of 2025

To mandate the declassification and public release of all documents related to the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation (NUMEC) and the loss of highly enriched uranium in the 1960s and 1970s, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the "NUMEC Transparency Act of 2025."

SECTION 2. FINDINGS

Congress finds the following:  

1. Between 1965 and 1980, the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation (NUMEC), based in Apollo and Parks Township, Pennsylvania, reported the loss of approximately 200 to 600 pounds of highly enriched uranium, raising unresolved questions about nuclear security and accountability.  

2. Investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, Atomic Energy Commission, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission failed to conclusively determine the fate of the missing material, with suspicions of diversion to foreign entities or environmental loss.  

3. The continued classification of NUMEC-related documents impedes public understanding of a significant event in U.S. nuclear history, potentially affecting national security, environmental health, and governmental transparency.  

4. Declassification is in the public interest to provide closure to affected communities, inform nuclear policy, and uphold democratic accountability.

SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS

In this Act:

(a) NUMEC-Related Documents means all records, reports, correspondence, investigations, and materials in the possession of any Federal agency pertaining to the operations, activities, or incidents involving the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation from 1957 to 1980, including but not limited to the loss of highly enriched uranium.

(b) Covered Agencies means the Department of Energy, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and any successor agencies holding relevant records.

SECTION 4. DECLASSIFICATION AND RELEASE OF NUMEC-RELATED DOCUMENTS

(a) Mandatory Declassification

    (1) Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the heads of all Covered Agencies shall declassify and make publicly available all NUMEC-Related Documents in their possession.

    (2) Declassification shall include documents previously reviewed but withheld unless such documents meet the exemptions specified in subsection (b).

(b) Limited Exemptions

    (1) Documents may remain classified only if their release would demonstrably and currently:

        (A) Compromise the identity of a confidential human source still active as of [DATE]; or

        (B) Directly reveal operational nuclear weapons design specifications unrelated to NUMEC activities.

    (2) Any exemption must be justified in writing to Congress within 90 days of enactment, with redacted versions released to the maximum extent possible.

(c) Public Access

    (1) Declassified documents shall be digitized and published on a publicly accessible website maintained by the Department of Energy.

    (2) Physical copies shall be made available at the National Archives within 60 days of declassification.

SECTION 5. REPORT TO CONGRESS

(a) Not later than 240 days after the date of enactment, the head of each Covered Agency shall submit a report to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, detailing:

    (1) The total number of NUMEC-Related Documents reviewed;

    (2) The number declassified and released;

    (3) The number withheld and the specific justification for each exemption claimed.

(b) The report shall be unclassified, with a classified annex if necessary.

SECTION 6. OVERSIGHT AND ENFORCEMENT

(a) The Archivist of the United States, in coordination with the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP), shall oversee compliance with this Act.

(b) Any agency failing to meet the deadlines in Section 4 shall testify before Congress within 30 days to explain the delay.

SECTION 7. FUNDING

No additional appropriations are authorized; Covered Agencies shall carry out this Act using existing funds.

SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE

This Act shall take effect immediately upon enactment.