Developing indigenous safeguards capabilities within the MPC&A program: A transition from near-term upgrades to long-term sustainability
- Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Approximately five years ago, the United States and countries of & Former Soviet Union (FSU) started the Cooperative Threat Reduction program. The program`s purpose was to accelerate reduction of the risk of nuclear proliferation, including such threats as theft, diversion, and unauthorized possession of nuclear materials. This goal would be accomplished through near-term upgrades to strengthen the nuclear material protection, control, and accounting systems within the FSU countries. In addition to this near-term goal, a long-term goal of the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE) Material Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPC&A) program is to promote a new safeguards culture and to support the establishment of a sustaining MPC&A infrastructure in the FSU. This long-term goal is vital to assuring that the near-term upgrades remain effective for safeguarding nuclear material as these countries experience political and social changes. The MPC&A program is managed by DOE`s Russia/Newly Independent States (NIS) Nuclear Materials Security Task Force. A coordinated effort is underway to promote and to help establish a new safeguards culture and a sustaining infrastructure. Elements being implemented at both the national and site levels include system operational performance evaluations, development of MPC&A training, operational procedures, national MPC&A regulations, and adaptation of modern MPC&A methodologies to suit the conditions in the FSU countries. This paper identifies current efforts in several countries that are undergoing transition from near-term upgrades to sustainable MPC&A systems.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 505694
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-97-1809C; CONF-970744-10; ON: DE97007917; TRN: 97:013410
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 38. annual meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials management, Phoenix, AZ (United States), 20-24 Jul 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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