REVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GRADED SAFEGUARDS TABLE

The Department of Energy implemented the Graded Safeguards Table in 1988. It was the first time that material composition and form played a role in how special nuclear material was categorized for physical protection. Over the years, there have been many requests to clarify where specific material types fit into the table. The world has change, as evidenced by the attacks of September 11, 2001, and other events around the world. In addition, we believe that the characteristics of the adversaries and their technical skills have changed as well. This paper documents the technical review of the Graded Safeguards Table and the findings.