1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910702717403321

Autore

Duncan Renee

Titolo

U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile : tritium and lithium production issues / / Renee Duncan, editor

Pubbl/distr/stampa

New York, [New York] : , : Novinka, , 2016

©2016

ISBN

1-63484-476-9

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (89 p.)

Collana

Nuclear Materials and Disaster Research

Disciplina

355.8251190973

Soggetti

Uranium enrichment - International cooperation

Tritium - Government policy - United States

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Includes index.

Nota di contenuto

U.S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS STOCKPILE   TRITIUM AND LITHIUM PRODUCTION ISSUES ; U.S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS STOCKPILE   TRITIUM AND LITHIUM PRODUCTION ISSUES ; Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data; CONTENTS ; PREFACE ; Chapter 1  DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY: INTERAGENCY REVIEW NEEDED TO UPDATE U.S. POSITION ON ENRICHED URANIUM THAT CAN BE USED FOR TRITIUM PRODUCTION* ; WHY GAO DID THIS STUDY ; WHAT GAO RECOMMENDS; WHAT GAO FOUND ; ABBREVIATIONS ; BACKGROUND ; International Agreements and Peaceful Use Restrictions

Existing and Proposed Enrichment Facilities in the United States That Use or Will Use Foreign Technology U.S. Involvement in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Markets ; Tritium Production; DOE HAS ONLY USED UNOBLIGATED LEU TO MEET NATIONAL SECURITY NEEDS FOR TRITIUM PRODUCTION ; DOE'S PRACTICE OF USING UNOBLIGATED LEU FOR TRITIUM PRODUCTION IS BASED ON A MIX OF LEGAL AND POLICY CONSIDERATIONS, BUT A KEY ASSUMPTION UNDERLYING THIS PRACTICE HAS CHANGED ; DOE's Practice of Using Unobligated LEU Is Based on a Mix of Legal and Policy Considerations ; DOE References Legal Considerations for Its Practice

Only One of the Three International Agreements We Reviewed Explicitly Addresses by-product Material Such as Tritium U.S. Nonproliferation Policy Goals Call for DOE to Use Unobligated LEU for Tritium



Production; The Key Assumption Underlying DOE's Practice, Available Unobligated LEU, Has Changed; CONCLUSION ; RECOMMENDATION FOR EXECUTIVE ACTION ; AGENCY COMMENTS AND OUR EVALUATION ; APPENDIX I: OBJECTIVES, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY ; APPENDIX II: PEACEFUL USE LANGUAGE IN KEY INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS ADDRESSING URANIUM ENRICHMENT FACILITIES OPERATING OR PLANNED FOR OPERATION IN THE UNITED STATES

APPENDIX III: PEACEFUL USE  LANGUAGE IN ADDITIONAL SELECT  TREATIES AND INTERNATIONAL  AGREEMENTS RELATED TO  NONPROLIFERATION AND  NUCLEAR TRADEEnd Notes; End Notes for Appendix I ; End Note for Appendix III ; Chapter 2  DOE PROJECT MANAGEMENT:  NNSA SHOULD ENSURE EQUAL CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATIVES  FOR LITHIUM PRODUCTION  ; ABBREVIATIONS; WHY GAO DID THIS STUDY ; WHAT GAO RECOMMENDS ; WHAT GAO FOUND ; BACKGROUND ; NNSA's Nuclear Security Enterprise ; Lithium Production ; Qualification Process ; DOE's Capital Asset Acquisition Process and Mission Need Statement Development

NNSA's Lithium Production StrategyNNSA HAS IDENTIFIED VARIOUS CHALLENGES IN ITS LITHIUM PRODUCTION STRATEGY ; NNSA Has Identified Challenges in Three Key Areas ; Insufficient Supply of Lithium Material ; Catastrophic Failure of Buildings or Equipment ; Potential Delays in the Availability of the Proposed Lithium Production Capability Facility ; NNSA Has Identified Mitigating Actions to Address  Some Challenges ; NNSA'S MISSION NEED STATEMENT FOR A LITHIUM PRODUCTION CAPABILITY IS NOT FULLY INDEPENDENT OF A PARTICULAR SOLUTION ; CONCLUSION ; RECOMMENDATION FOR EXECUTIVE ACTION

AGENCY COMMENTS AND OUR EVALUATION