Department of Energy Special Nuclear Materials Anomaly Resolution Teams

The Department of Energy (DOE) and its contractors are often faced with investigating and responding to safeguards anomalies that indicate discrepancies in accounting for nuclear material. Determining the cause of an anomaly is often complex, time consuming, and costly. It is particularly important that the investigations be carried out systematically and that any conclusions from the investigations be thoroughly documented and logically justified. The DOE Office of Safeguards and Security is establishing interdisciplinary teams to assist in analyzing safeguards anomalies and identifying the most likely causes of anomalies in a systematic and structured manner. Anomaly resolution teams will be composed of experts representing each of the needed disciplines. These experts will be trained in working with other experts and facility personnel in resolving anomalies quickly and effectively. The teams' roles in resolving anomalies, their activation and composition, and the development of training courses and analytic tools to assist the teams in their efforts are presented.