Electronic Tracking for the Transport of Nuclear and Other Radioactive Materials

The World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS) and the World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI) have issued an International Best Practice Guide (BPG) entitled “Electronic Tracking for the Transport of Nuclear and Other Radioactive Materials, Revision 1.0.” This BPG was developed with the assistance of Argonne National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) national laboratory, under the auspices of the DOE Packaging Certification Program, Office of Packaging and Transportation. The BPG is intended to assist government policy makers, regulators, operators (i.e., shippers, carriers, and receivers), and escort/response force personnel in understanding and evaluating the potential merits of electronic tracking so that the viability and cost-effectiveness of such systems can be established in their transport security regimes. The BPG elaborates on why electronic tracking of nuclear materials is needed, what constitutes electronic tracking, and how it can be designed and implemented effectively by consignors and carriers throughout the world. Electronic tracking can add an extra layer of security and functionality and, at the same time, cut costs associated with the transport of nuclear and other sensitive radioactive materials. The benefits of such a system include the potential for substantially decreasing response time during a security challenge while, concurrently, creating a complete history of the transport journey, which provides reassurance that no interference has taken place. Using electronic tracking, security professionals can detect unplanned door openings, emergency stops, the unhooking of a trailer, and physical attacks on the packages, among other potential concerns. Electronic tracking can reduce the need for personnel and help ensure the correct processing of shipments. The BPG provides examples of systems that have been and are being used for tracking nuclear and other sensitive radioactive material shipments, including emerging radio frequency identification (RFID) systems. The BPG discusses what kinds of materials should be tracked and how the concept of a graded approach to security can be satisfied by appropriately tailoring the tracking system according to the threat posed by the materials being transported. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the BPG and an update of the case study mentioned in the BPG.