The New York Times is reporting that the Bush administration is planning to begin producing the highly radioactive plutonium 238 for the first time since the cold war. The plan calls for the production of 330 pounds of the substance at a laboratory in Idaho. The program will cost $1.5 billion and generate more than 50,000 drums of hazardous and radioactive waste. Environmentalists are warning the production poses a potential threat to nearby ecosystems, including Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Teton National Park. Plutonium 238 is hundreds of times more radioactive than the kind of plutonium used in nuclear arms. Medical experts say that inhaling even a speck poses a serious risk of lung cancer. It remains unclear what the plutonium would be used for. The Bush administration said the plutonium would be used in secret missions but refused to provide details. In the past, Plutonium 238 has been used to make nuclear batteries that has powered spacecraft such as the Cassinni probe. Experts said the plutonium could also help power spy satellites or underwater espionage devices.