PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES DEVELOPMENT FOR CLEAN LABORATORY OPERATIONS TO DETECT TRACE QUANTITIES OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL

Over the past decade, the analysis of environmental samples for trace quantities of nuclear materials has been recognized as a new method to detect undeclared nuclear activities and to verify declared nuclear operations. The analysis of environmental samples for trace quantities of nuclear material requires a special facility (referred to as a Class 100 clean laboratory), rigorous quality assurance in the handling of environmental samples and their analyses, and a disciplined operation and maintenance program for the facility. In Japan, the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) is constructing a Class 100 clean laboratory, referred to as the CLEAR facility, that will be a world-class facility when operational for the analysis of these environmental samples. The U.S. Department of Energy and the JAERI are cooperating on several aspects of the facility’s design, development, and operation including protocol and procedures development, under a specific bilateral cooperation agreement for joint research and development in nuclear safeguards. Essential to the successful completion, startup, certification and operation of the CLEAR facility, as well as for any clean laboratory, are the development, implementation and utilization of detailed protocols and procedures for construction, startup, operation and maintenance. For the JAERI CLEAR facility, over 250 protocols have been proposed for development and implementation to achieve successful operation of the CLEAR facility. This paper describes the process for developing clean laboratory protocols and procedures, outlines and describes what categories of protocols and procedures are required, reviews specific considerations and requirements for protocol and procedure development, and illustrates how the protocol and procedure process is envisioned as an integral part of the success of the CLEAR laboratory.