Life-Cycle Management of Nuclear Material at Sandia National Laboratories

An inventory of nuclear material has accumulated at Sandia National Laboratories that is a legacy of research and development activities. To minimize the risks associated with acquisition of new nuclear material, Sandia National Laboratories has implemented a life cycle management approach to effectively manage the acquisition of new materials. The central component to life cycle management is the implementation of advance planning to evaluate the intended use, storage, and ultimately the disposition of nuclear material. Prior to acquisition, an organization must prepare a planning document that addresses the issues for each stage of the materials’ life cycle. A review board, consisting of subject matter experts from safeguards and security, material control and accountability, and nuclear material management, reviews the plan and assigns a risk to Sandia National Laboratories. Final management approval level is commensurate with the level of risk. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the life cycle management approach used for managing nuclear material at Sandia National Laboratories. Sandia National Laboratories is a multiprogram laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.