NCJ Number
59814
Journal
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: (FALL 1977) Pages: 139-148
Date Published
1977
Length
10 pages
Annotation
AN IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE ENGINEERED SAFEGUARDS SYSTEM (ESS) IS THE DETECTION AND PREVENTION OF COVERT ACTIVITIES WHICH MAY RESULT IN THE THEFT OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS.
Abstract
THE ESS WHICH PROTECTS ADVANCED NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLES AGAINST INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL THREATS FROM TERRORISTS AND OTHERS HAS BEEN UNDER DEVELOPMENT SINCE 1976. PROTECTION AGAINST THE SABOTAGE OR THEFT OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS IS FULFILLED BY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EFFECTIVE CLOSE-LOOP CONTROLS THROUGH BOTH ACCESS AND OPERATIONAL CONTROL ELEMENTS. THE METHODOLOGY FOR REQUREMENTS DEVELOPMENT FOR THE SAFEGUARDS ELEMENTS IS CALLED OPERATIONAL CONTROL ANALYSIS (OCA). THE APPLICABILITY OF OCA TO LESS STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS MAINTENANCE, INVOLVES ISSUES OF HOW THE MAINTENANCE MODIFIES ROUTINE PLANT OPERATIONS AND THE DEGREE TO WHICH MAINTENANCE TASKS CAN BE STRUCTURED TO FACILITATE SAFEGUARD OPERATION CONTROLS. ALTHOUGH LESSER MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES TEND TO BE WELL-STRUCTURED AND CONTROLLABLE, THE MAJOR BREAKDOWN ENTAILS A LEVEL OF UNPREDICTABILITY WHICH REQUIRES SOPHISTICATED SAFEGUARD PLANNING. ACCORDINGLY, THE MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT MUST REST ON PERSONAL AND OPERATIONAL CONTROLS AT THE BOUNDARIES OF THE AFFECTED AREA, SUPPLEMENTED BY INTERIOR SURVEILLANCE. OPTIONS FOR ENTRY CONTROL INCLUDE CONTRABAND CHECKS, RANDOM MONITORING OF PERSONNEL, AND MONITORING FOR ILLICIT NUCLEAR MATERIAL. METHODS DESCRIBED FOR THE PREVENTION OF THEFT AND SABOTAGE REQUIRE FURTHER EVALUATION IN TERMS OF EFFECTIVENESS AND COST. TABULAR DATA SHOW THE SAFEGUARDS CLOSED-LOOP CONTROL MODULE, THE PROCESS OCA FOR THE UNLOADING OF PLUTONIUM, AND THE OCA ELEMENTS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)