MACS AS A TOOL FOR INTERNATIONAL INSPECTIONS

General acceptance of the challenge provision in the Chemical Weapons Convention has the potential for influence in other arms control areas. While most applications of the challenge inspection may be straightforward, there may be instances where access to the site by inspectors may be problematic. The MACS system described in this paper was developed to respond to these situations. Inspection and verification may be difficult when a host is unwilling, for valid reasons, to permit physical access to a site. Facility operators may fear that challenge inspectors may learn sensitive information through inspections more detailed than warranted for the purpose, or just through simple observations within portions of their facility. Operators of former defense production reactors or nuclear processing facilities may fear disclosing classified equipment arrangements or loss of proprietary technology. Operators of some facilities may fear loss of the unique composition of the plant's product through covert sampling. Operators of nuclear storage facilities may fear divulging safeguards and security details. In addition, facility managers may not want to allow inspectors to occupy locations where they would be exposed to radiation or other environmental hazards. Brookhaven National Laboratory's Safeguards, Safety and Nonproliferation (SSN) Division proposed a system of remote sensors which may be used to demonstrate compliance with Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) challenge inspections even if the inspector is physically excluded from a sensitive site. The system is based upon alternative-means-of-access provisions of the CWC. The Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) funded design and construction of a system prototype, designated as MACS for Managed Access by Controlled Sensing. Features of the MACS design allow growth of the prototype into a versatile device for international monitoring of production facilities and other sites...