“Status, Progress and Plans for the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Global Threat Reduction Initiative”

This paper summarizes the U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative. Significant quantities of high-risk, vulnerable nuclear and radiological materials exist in civilian applications and facilities throughout the world. The Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) is targeting this material. GTRI is a cooperative program that is intended to provide international support for countries’ national programs to identify, secure, recover and/or facilitate the disposition of vulnerable, high-risk nuclear and radioactive materials that pose a threat to the international community, as quickly and expeditiously as possible. GTRI programs have made significant strides in securing, recovering and/or facilitating the disposition of vulnerable, high-risk nuclear and radioactive materials that pose a threat to the international community. GTRI has repatriated to Russia approximately 108 kilograms of Russian-origin fresh HEU, enough for four nuclear bombs; and, over 6,500 U.S.-origin spent nuclear fuel assemblies have been returned to the United States, thereby reducing civil use of HEU by over 500 kilograms – enough material for 20 nuclear bombs. On the radiological side, GTRI is currently engaged in over 40 countries and has completed radiological security upgrades at 125 facilities worldwide. Domestically, over 10,500 excess sealed sources have been recovered and securely stored or disposed in the United States.