Status of the NBL Program Office: Meeting U.S. Nuclear Reference Materials Needs

The New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL) was established by the Atomic Energy Commission in1949, and was staffed by scientists from the National Bureau of Standards that had contributed tothe measurement science of nuclear materials for the Manhattan Project. NBL’s initial missionwas to provide a federal capability for the assay of uranium-containing materials for the nation'sdeveloping atomic energy program. The necessity for such measurements has continued throughthe decades and is expected to endure well into the future. Unfortunately, over the past decade,the nation’s ability to consistently provide this critical service has diminished substantially due tothe sporadic operation of the analytical laboratories and the intermittent availability of thecertified reference materials (CRMs) provided by NBL. As the single United States (U.S.)National Metrology Institute, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)delegated responsibility for producing and certifying all CRMs for Special Nuclear Materials(SNM) to NBL in the 1980’s. Operations at NBL in building 350 have experienced persistentfacility safety issues, and the plutonium laboratories have not operated in more than a decade.Additionally, the uranium laboratories and nuclear material shipments were stood down in 2014due to safety and facility issues.Historically, NBL has produced CRMs entirely in-house, by joint efforts with one or morenational labs, or by providing technical oversight to productions entirely conducted at a nationallaboratory. Over the past decade, the ability to consistently provide CRMs has diminishedsubstantially due to the sporadic operations of NBL. In recognition of the importance ofsustaining this vital capability, the Office of Science (SC) chartered a Committee of Visitors(COV) to evaluate approaches to sustain the delivery of core mission functions for NBL. TheCOV found that there is a need for a new business model for CRM production. In May 2016 theNew Brunswick Laboratory was reorganized into the NBL Program Office, responsible for theCRM mission and collaborating with Argonne National Laboratory on the disposition of thematerials and equipment in the former building (B350).