Validation of Master Safeguards and Security Agreements for DOE-Albuquerque Facilities

The Albuquerque Field Office (AL) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) operates several facilities for which Master Safeguards and Security Agreements (MSSA) are required. Because these facilities are located at diverse sites and are each operated by a different contractor, coordination of activities associated with preparation of MSSAs and supporting documents has demanded considerable attention by AL staff. To promote preparation of complete and defensible MSSAs and related documents, AL has supported participation by contractor and DOE staff in all available vulnerability assessment (VA)/MSSA training opportunities, such as formal training sessions at the Central Training Academy (CTA) and informal lessons learned workshops at which relevant experiences are shared. In addition, AL has developed and disseminated guidance dealing with analysis, testing, and validation activities to supplement policy and guidance provided by DOE-Headquarters (HQ). The AL has also participated in project planning, performed prevalidation review of draft documents, and witnessed performance tests (PT). This multifaceted approach to validation has facilitated establishment of a comprehensive, traceable basis for approval of MSSA-related materials by the AL Manager, as well as for subsequent verification by DOE-HQ reviewers.