An Updated Inventory of Existing and Projected SNM in the U.S. Nuclear Power Industry*

The existing and projected inventory of special nuclear material (SNM) in the U.S. nuclear power industry helps to place the safeguards problem in perspective. The quantities of SNM generated by power reactors are primarily dependent upon the forecast of nuclear generating capacity. Ten nuclear generating capacity projections, developed from 1972 to 1979, are presented and discussed. Finally, the most reasonable projection is used to derive the projected inventory of SNM to the year 2000.