International Safeguards Acti'l.1ties at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant

In April 1996, the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant was added to the list of facilities eligible for the application of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. At that time, the U.S. proposed to work with the IAEA to carry out a -.erification experiment with respect to the down blending of approximately 13 metric tons of high enriched uranium (HEU) at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Further, the U.S. offered to co-.er at a minimum the incremental IAEA costs of the experiment. Technical discussions between IAEA and U.S. specialists took place at the Portsmouth Plant on April 25-26, 1996. Since that time the U.S. has continued its efforts in anticipation of a possible IAEA -.erification experiment, including identification of consultants to support IAEA efforts on the -.erification experiment, de-.elopment of downblending -.erification and monitoring technology, and the addition of a storage area at the Portsmouth Plant to the list of facilities eligible for the application of IAEA safeguards. The U.S. continues to belie-.e that independent -.erification of the downblending of this material by the IAEA would help demonstrate the irre-.ersibility of the disarmament process. Additionally, the -.erification experiment may also help to advance the current efforts by the U.S. and the Agency to de-.elop new -.erification methods for fissile materials declared excess to national security programs. This paper will discuss steps taken to date by the U.S. in this -.erification experiment and outline next steps.