Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Nuclear Security Interface Considerations for Regaining Control of Discovered Nuclear and Radioactive Materials

Conference ·
OSTI ID:1817459

Recognizing that regaining control of orphan radioactive and nuclear material is challenging, the international community has developed requirements and guidance to support countries in addressing the problem. However, limited guidance is available on the practical nuclear security related issues that arise when nuclear or other radioactive material out of regulatory control (MORC) is encountered and efforts are undertaken to regain control. For example, the IAEA Specific Safety Guide No. SSG-19, “National Strategy for Regaining Control over Orphan Sources and Improving Control over Vulnerable Sources”, provides recommendations on a methodology for establishing a national strategy for regaining control of orphan sources. However, except for Pu239 in radioactive sources, nuclear material is outside the scope of this safety guide, and practical safety and security measures below the level of national strategy are not discussed adequately.This paper discusses the interfaces between the stakeholder groups and the responsibilities of each when encountering common scenarios that deal with MORC transitioning to regulatory control. The stakeholders include but are not limited to individuals who encounter MORC, and providers of formal and informal transport systems, and traditional and ad hoc storage solutions. This paper explores practical legal, financial, and institutional issues that hinder implementation of required safety and security practices. This paper also offers strategies that can be implemented on the individual, organizational, national, and international level to regain control of MORC.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1817459
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

National and International Assistance in the Technical Assessment of Nuclear and other Radiological Materials out of Regulatory Control
Conference · Fri Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 2018 · OSTI ID:1751918

IRAD-MPE Radiological and Nuclear Security Threats (Day 1) [Slides]
Technical Report · Sun Feb 13 23:00:00 EST 2022 · OSTI ID:1847859

A REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP ON RADIOLOGICAL SECURITY
Conference · Mon Jul 09 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · OSTI ID:962526

Related Subjects