Designing a National System to Account for and Control Nuclear Materials

Nuclear Materials Management means accounting for and controlling all nuclear materials. Each sovereign nation must decide what nuclear activities it will encourage and establish a national system to ensure that such activities will be conducted safely, contribute to the general welfare, and be consistent with any agreements with other nations. The paper discusses safety, environmental, and national safeguards/physical protection issues, how they relate to each other and how nations should establish and enforce the regulations to achieve these objectives. Since an accident or the theft of nuclear material in any country may threaten those residing in other counties, it is important that all nations work together to develop and to enforce effective safety, environmental, and physical protection regulations.