TIMELY LOSS DETECTION USING ITEM CONTROL AND PROCESS MONITORING

Traditional material control and accounting (MC&A) safeguards programs rely on periodic physical inventory as the primary means of accounting for and controlling special nuclear material (SNM). During the 1980's, fuel manufacturing facilities in the U.S. were required by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop and implement programs for more timely control than that provided by periodic physical inventory. These programs relied on monitoring nuclear material during processing and in storage. The impact of these MC&A safeguards measures on facility operations was not insignificant and has required cooperation between facility operations and safeguards organizations. Over the past decade, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and its fuel cycle licensees have gained extensive experience in process monitoring and item control. This paper describes observed experiences with programs for monitoring and controlling nuclear material and the positive implications for facility operations.