New Strategies for Protecting Special Nuclear Material

Complex reconfiguration, modernization, and weapons reduction/dismantlement operations will undoubtedly result in changes in operations within the Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear program in the future. These program initiatives will also be affected by current emphases on environment, safety, and health as well as new threat guidance which has been developed. Such changes and initiatives will force the development of new safeguards policy and methodologies for protecting special nuclear material (SNM) at DOE nuclear facilities. Future safeguards implementation will be further influenced in a large part by available materials control and accountability technologies and advanced processing and designs that may be employed. Safeguards must be integrated in the planning, design, and deployment of new facilities and processes to reduce resource and operational impacts and increase protection program effectiveness.