Project Planning at the Hanford Site for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safeguards of Excess Fissile Material

In his September 1993 address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Clinton proposed several initiatives to promote nuclear nonproliferation. One element is of these initiatives was that the United States offered to place excess fissile material under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. Three Department of Energy (DOE) facilities were identified as part of a phased approach for initial implementation. This paper describes the planning process used to provide information to assist the DOE in making decisions for the initial offer, outlines tasks to be performed, and develops a budget request. The process consisted of: (1) characterizing the Hanford Site from the perspective of IAEA safeguards; (2) identifying key issues to be resolved; (3) developing budget estimates and schedules; (4) interfacing with other DOE components and the IAEA to clarify expected activities; and (5) initiating additional data collection and preparatory activities to reduce planning uncertainties.