Publications

The status of nuclear materials in both the U.S. and Former Soviet Union is changing based upon the execution of agreements relative to weapons materials production and weapon dismantlement. The result of these activities is that a considerably different emphasis is being placed on how nuclear materials are viewed and utilized. Even though much effort is being expended on the final disposition of these materials, the interim need for storage and security of the material is increasing. Both safety and security requirements exist to govern activities when these materials are placed in storage. These requirements are intended to provide confidence that the material is not being misused and that the storage operations are conducted safely. Both of these goals can be significantly enhanced if technological monitoring of the material is performed. This paper will briefly discuss the traditional manual methods of U.S. and international material monitoring and then present approaches and technology that are available to achieve the same goals under the evolving environment.

Materials Control techniques are utilized to provide assurance that nuclear materials are being handled properly. In the event that materials are improperly handled or potentially malevolent activities utilizing nuclear materials are initiated, the materials control approach should provide a real-time indication to allow a rapid mitigating response. The appropriate response can range from correcting an inadvertent error to preventing an intentional insider-perpetrated incident. This paper is directed at the use of materials control techniques to deter and detect insider malevolence. 1 fig.

Sandia National Laboratories has developed a variety of command, control, and display systems for a broad spectrum of users. This paper briefly describes the latest systems developed for the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of State (DOS) applications. Applications covered vary from relatively small facilities to large complex sites. 3 refs., 6 figs.

The Department of Energy (DOE) established the seals task force in 1986 to scope the extent of seals problems, develop guidelines and criteria, and recommend improvements. Recent task force activities have been to update the Safeguards Seals Reference manual produced in 1986, lay the groundwork for seal standardization, and make recommendations for general and specific seals problems in the field. This paper will discuss the manual updates and other general task force activities. 5 refs.