ROLEOFCONT~NTANDSURVE~LANCE STRATEGIES IN THE U.S. NATIONAL SAFEGUARDS PROGRAM

This paper discusses the increased role of containment and surveillance (CIS) in safeguarding special nuclear materials (SNM) in long-term storage. Major points of the paper are as follows: the use of CIS is an opportunity to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of safeguards while addressing significant safety and cost issues associated with long-term SNM storage. As the Department of Energy (DOE) shifts from production to stewardship and as dismantlement activities continue, CIS is expected to playa larger role in safeguards. In addition, CIS measures can be important in the areas of arms control and verification to demonstrate transparency and irreversibility. The DOE recognizes the role of CIS in domestic safeguards. Current DOE policies encourage and support the use of CIS in extending physical inventory intervals and reducing sampling and measurements requirements. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is also reducing its inventory verification and inspection requirements through the use of dual and independent CIS. In both the U.S. and IAEA cases, reduced costs and personnel radiation exposure and improved inspection resource allocations are realized through the use of CIS. Specific applications of CIS for long-term storage in the national safeguards program as well as performance criteria for defining effective CIS are discussed.