Year
2009
Abstract
On July 10–11, 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of International Regimes and Agreements sponsored a workshop, “Demonstration of Safeguards Technologies for Uranium Enrichment Plants.” The workshop, hosted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, provided a forum for enrichment and safeguards professionals from around the world to interact and discuss various technologies for addressing current and emerging verification challenges at gas centrifuge enrichment plants. The workshop also gave technology developers a chance to demonstrate the capabilities and functionality of some of the current prototypes and to engage with enrichment plant operators and inspectorate staff. The workshop provided a unique forum for all of the participants to discuss methods for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, identify practical ways to protect sensitive information and minimize the burden associated with inspection activities, and reduce the strain of IAEA resources. This paper presents a summary of discussions, conclusions, and next steps.