INTRINSIC TAMPER INDICATING DEVICE (TID) PROGRAM

The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Intrinsic Tamper Indicating Device (TID) Program has recently been developed in conjunction with the regular LANL TID Program to assist groups who perform measurements using sealed sources or store difficult-to-measure items. The program was then expanded to include other types of sealed sources and items processed for long-term storage in the Nuclear Material Packaging and Repackaging Program. The Intrinsic TID Program encompasses both Special Nuclear Material (SNM) and Nuclear Material (NM) items that have intrinsic characteristics that would immediately indicate tampering upon visual inspection. Items determined to be intrinsically sealed do not need to be sealed with authorized tamper indicating devices. Under the program, an identified intrinsic item receives the same safeguards credits as other tamper-sealed items already m the TID Program. The major benefits of the Intrinsic TID Program include reducing verification measurements on intrinsically identified inventory items and reducing exposure to operators working in highly irradiated environments. Intrinsic TIDs should be combined with other safeguards requirements, and items should have defensible measurements as well as visual inspections. Several groups at LANL are already implementing the program and providing feedback so that we can tailor it to better meet the customers’ needs.