METHODOLOGY FOR MORE EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL SAFEGUARDS AT DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SITES (U)

As the United States continues to place excess fissile materials under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, well planned and meaningful integration of activities can provide efficient and cost effective methodologies for the inclusion of international safeguards at Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. Whenever possible, it is prudent to incorporate potential safeguards integration activities into all plans and negotiations for implementation of IAEA safeguards activities. Coordination is required among several agencies, including DOE Operations Offices, DOE Headquarters, National Laboratories, and the IAEA. Methods used to implement efficient and cost effective international safeguards at DOE facilities should include: 1) early involvement and communication, 2) sharing of conceptual design and feedback of international safeguards requirements and considerations, 3) technical exchange meetings to establish paths forward and reach agreement on planned safeguards technologies, and 4) strong coordination and shared purpose among the agencies. The Savannah River Site (SRS) is proactively evaluating the potential for placing stabilized excess fissile materials at the site under IAEA safeguards. The Actinide Packaging and Storage Facility (APSF) planned at SRS is an example of utilizing an integrated approach with several agencies and laboratories to reach an efficient and cost effective safeguards approach for implementing IAEA safeguards. Detailed evaluation and coordination are needed to implement safeguards technologies which will reduce the IAEA resources required for safeguards inspections and minimize the impact of the IAEA safeguards inspections on facility operations. A mock-up facility of the planned accountability and safeguards systems for the APSF has been constructed at SRS and will be used to test and evaluate IAEA and domestic safeguards systems. SRS is actively involved in assisting the IAEA in defining cooperative tasks which can be implemented in the APSF mock-up for the development of more efficient and cost effective safeguards systems required for inspections of the APSF and other future DOE facilities.