U.S.-LITHUANIA COOPERATIVE RADIOLOGICAL THREAT REDUCTION

In May 2003, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) initiated a program of cooperation with Lithuania to improve the security and control of high-risk radioactive materials. The program is part of a broader effort by the DOE’s Radiological Threat Reduction (RTR) Program to reduce the risk of a terrorist employing a radiological dispersal device or “dirty bomb” on the territory of the U.S. or its allies. The RTR Program works with international partners to secure radiological sources that could be utilized in such weapons. Cooperation with Lithuania has been focused on two major areas: (1) improvement of security and control of known high-risk radioactive sources at facilities, and (2) implementation of a search and recovery effort to locate potential unregistered radiological materials. Lithuania has six sites that were identified for security improvements. Five oncology clinics are located in Klaipeda, Siauliai, and Vilnius. Each oncology clinic has one or two teletherapy units that house radioactive sources. The sixth site is the Maisiagala Repository site – a former Soviet facility now closed where highrisk radioactive sources are buried. The joint U.S.-Lithuania project team considered likely threat scenarios and operational considerations (i.e., human factors) in determining upgrades strategies for these sites that resulted in several unique approaches. For example, the upgrades strategy at Maisiagala Repository applied similar technologies that are deployed for international nuclear safeguards to enable monitoring at a remote response force location and at the regulatory authority. The search and recovery efforts to detect materials of interest focused on several dozen former Soviet military and industrial sites. A Lithuanian team was provided with detection equipment and training required to undertake the search and recovery effort. The cooperative program resulted in greatly improved security of radioactive sources, and some of the lessons learned and unique approaches may be considered for cooperative efforts with other countries.