AN APPROACH TO SAFEGUARDS FOR A NUCLEAR MATERIALS PLANT*

This paper discusses a safeguards system that could be employed for a hypothetical nuclear material processing or production facility. The approach results in an integrated system of accountability measurements and nuclear materials control measures designed to monitor the storage, processing, and transfer of nuclear materials as well as placing adequate restraints upon personnel movement. It is the goal for every safeguards system, whether planned for a new facility or to be overlaid upon an existing facility, to be transparent to the plant operators, while accomplishing the necessary safeguards and security functions. This approach fulfills this need and presents graded protection to areas of varying sensitivity and accomplishes control at the source rather than placing increased reliance upon after-the-fact detection capabilities. These considerations will help a new or existing facility meet the new directions being established for safeguarding nuclear materials.