Year
1969
Abstract
Mr. Chairman, members, guests of the Institute of Nuclear Material Management. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity of publicly expressing a shipper's views on the subject of safeguards during transportation. This particular point in time is most appropriate, inasmuch as to- day is the third anniverary of lOC.'R tart 73 - three weeks, that is, for it was three weeks ago today that tho~e of us involved ir; the shipping of substantial quantities of highly enriched materials be- came subject to this new regulation. The value of the regulations can be assessed in the context of cumulative experience prior to publication of Part 73- Let us first address ourselves to the state of the transportation industry. What is the environment into which these materials - which I shall call \"strategic materials\" in the balance of my talk - are placed? Is the industry efficient, is it trustworthy, can one deliver material to a carrier with confidence that it will be de- livered to the consignee reasonably on time and in good condition? I was part of an informal meeting some few months ago attended by government personnel,representatives of major truckers, railroads, one airline, insurers, and freight claim agents. It was agreed that the transportation industry is so thoroughly infiltrated by the Cosa Nostra that any cargo which organized crime determines to obtain will be obtained. To put it another way - no material is safe during transportation if organized crime decides to lay its hands on the material.