Training in State Systems of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Materials (SSAC): Purpose and Process

Practical training in designing, operating, and maintaining safeguards systems for nuclear materials accounting and control is crucial for countries and regional organizations to enhance: (1) controls over inventories of nuclear materials to prevent and/or detect theft or misuse, (2) efficiency and effectiveness in the application of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) system of international safeguards, and (3) collaborations among IAEA Member States to establish and sustain technical relations with individuals responsible for safeguarding nuclear materials and facilities around the world. The course on State Systems of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Materials (SSAC) provides this important and essential training. The U.S. Nuclear Nonproliferation Act of 1978 authorizes U.S. sponsorship of the SSAC courses; they are co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of State (DOS), and the IAEA. The 15th international course involved more than 50 foreign nationals including personnel from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The course was held at Santa Fe and Los Alamos, New Mexico, beginning May 1, 2005, for two weeks, followed by a week at Knoxville and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for lectures, panel discussions, workshops, and facility tours. The Santa Fe and Los Alamos segment included a visit to the LANL nondestructive assay laboratory including a demonstration on unattended and remote monitoring systems. The Knoxville and Oak Ridge segment featured a comprehensive tour of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at ORNL, relevant to the workshop on design information examination and verification activities.