The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California has
transferred all but 3 percent of its closely guarded "special nuclear
material" to other government sites, the U.S. National Nuclear Security
Administration announced on Wednesday (see GSN, Nov. 11, 2010).
The deliveries were part of a U.S. effort launched nearly six years ago to consolidate the nation's high-security nuclear material. The project was previously slated to conclude in 2014, but a shortened NNSA schedule calls for completion no later than Oct. 1.
Special nuclear materials include plutonium and forms of enriched uranium (U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration release, June 27).
Meanwhile, the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico said on Wednesday it has merged two offices in a move expected to improve its capacity to fight the spread of nuclear substances and systems.
The step brings the NNSA research site's Nuclear Design and Risk Analysis Group together with its Safeguards and Security Systems Group to form the new Systems Design and Analysis Group. The reorganization would significantly benefit the institutional knowledge on "nuclear fuel cycle and safeguards" matters, according to a press release.
“Having this very crucial nuclear nonproliferation capability under a single organization is a huge advantage in terms of collaboration, and work and potential work sponsors will be channeled through a single point of contact,” LANL Associate Director Scott Gibbs said in provided comments. “Our customers will see a benefit as a result” (U.S. Los Alamos National Laboratory release, June 27).
http://www.nti.org/gsn/
The deliveries were part of a U.S. effort launched nearly six years ago to consolidate the nation's high-security nuclear material. The project was previously slated to conclude in 2014, but a shortened NNSA schedule calls for completion no later than Oct. 1.
Special nuclear materials include plutonium and forms of enriched uranium (U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration release, June 27).
Meanwhile, the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico said on Wednesday it has merged two offices in a move expected to improve its capacity to fight the spread of nuclear substances and systems.
The step brings the NNSA research site's Nuclear Design and Risk Analysis Group together with its Safeguards and Security Systems Group to form the new Systems Design and Analysis Group. The reorganization would significantly benefit the institutional knowledge on "nuclear fuel cycle and safeguards" matters, according to a press release.
“Having this very crucial nuclear nonproliferation capability under a single organization is a huge advantage in terms of collaboration, and work and potential work sponsors will be channeled through a single point of contact,” LANL Associate Director Scott Gibbs said in provided comments. “Our customers will see a benefit as a result” (U.S. Los Alamos National Laboratory release, June 27).
http://www.nti.org/gsn/
