Scheduling Forecasted and Non Forecasted Shipments at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Scheduling shipments at Los Alamos is a complex process involving many sites and organizations. Los Alamos maintains a five year forecast, as well as a three month shipping schedule. All programs that require nuclear materials are contacted annually to update their shipping requirements. This process ensures programmatic funding, appropriate MC&A resources, ensuring facility limits are not violated, vault space, storage containers, shipping containers, available personnel, waste management issues are addressed and proper disposition path for the material. The forecast not only is essential for LANL information, but is also reported to the DOE sponsored Safe Transportation Steering Committee (STSC)/Packaging and Shipping Committee. The STSC is a User Group that was established as a system to guide the planning, scheduling, and prioritization of the Transportation Safeguards Asset (TSA) among the programs that use the TSA (NA-10, 20,30, EM, NE and SC). The TSA provides the Department of Energy capabilities to move special nuclear materials, nuclear warheads and weapon components. Planning and scheduling TSA service is essential to the achievement of the mission responsibilities of all the nuclear programs in DOE and NNSA. All receipts must meet a number of criteria. Some of the requirements are facility specific. Additionally, there is a time line required for all required paperwork. Non forecasted shipments are a particular challenge due to the timeline restrictions.