Management and disposition of excess weapons plutonium
The primary goal in choosing options for management and disposition of excess nuclear weapons and fissile materials should be to minimize the risks to national and international security posed by the existence of this material. This security goal can be divided into three main objectives: (1) to minimize the risk that weapons or fissile materials could be obtained by unauthorized parties; (2) to minimize the risk that weapons or fissile materials could be reintroduced into the arsenals from which they came, halting or reversing the arms reduction process; and (3) to strengthen the national and international control mechanisms and incentives designed to ensure continued arms reductions and prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. The organization of this report reflects the goals and approaches described. Chapters 1, 2 and 3 set the stage. Chapter 2 describes the international context in which policy choices with respect to dismantlement, storage, and disposition must be made, including the crisis in the former Soviet Union, the arms reduction and nonproliferation regimes, ongoing civilian plutonium programs, and existing standards of safeguards and security for fissile materials. Chapter 3 describes in more detail the criteria for judging policy choices. The three stages of the process of reductions are described in the three ``action`` chapters: Chapter 4 addresses dismantlement, and the related question of an overall regime to limit and monitor the size of stockpiles of nuclear weapons and fissile materials; Chapter 5 addresses requirements and choices related to the storage of plutonium, and the related issue of measures to reduce the accessibility of fissile materials in the former Soviet Union; and Chapter 6 discusses the options for long-term disposition of the plutonium from dismantled weapons. Finally, Chapter 7 summarizes the recommendations of the Committee on International Security and Arms Control.
- Research Organization:
- National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-92NE20609
- OSTI ID:
- 677023
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/NE/20609--1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
35 ARMS CONTROL
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
ARMS CONTROL
FISSILE MATERIALS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
NUCLEAR WEAPONS DISMANTLEMENT
PLUTONIUM
PROLIFERATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RECOMMENDATIONS