Complexity in Developing an Integrated Plan for the Department of Energy Management of Nuclear Materials

The Department of Energy (DOE or Department) has developed a process to build integrated plans to identify programmatic uses for nuclear materials, as well as plans for the consolidation and disposition of excess nuclear materials. Because of the varied program missions within the DOE (including material users and material disposers) developing integrated plans is extremely challenging, but necessary to manage limited resources and ensure accomplishment of key objectives. DOE is comprised of multiple program offices, sometimes with competing objectives, that have responsibility for management and control of their nuclear material. The Office of Nuclear Materials Integration (ONMI) coordinates with these program offices to ensure nuclear materials are available to meet the highest priority requirements, facilitating transfer of material ownership as necessary to meet programmatic objectives and to dispose of materials that are no longer needed to meet Departmental missions. The ONMI collects nuclear material information from approximately forty DOE sites through the annual Nuclear Materials Inventory Assessment (NMIA) process. This paper describes how the NMIA information is supplemented by other plans and schedules, as appropriate, to build plans for forecasting nuclear material inventories, transfers, and disposition activities. This paper also illustrates how the ONMI is overcoming these complex challenges as they fulfill their responsibility to develop and implement a comprehensive, integrated plan for all accountable nuclear materials.