NCJ Number
45895
Date Published
1976
Length
144 pages
Annotation
THE AVAILABILITY OF FISSIONABLE MATERIAL, VULNERABLE PORTIONS OF THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE, WEAPON CONSTRUCTION, AND REGULATIONS PROTECTING FISSIONABLE MATERIAL ARE INVESTIGATED AND DANGERS OF THEFT ARE SURVEYED.
Abstract
THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF FISSIONABLE MATERIAL ARE IN SOME STAGE OF PRODUCTION AND STORAGE IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE AND BY 1980 AN ESTIMATED 150 NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS WILL BE IN OPERATION REQUIRING AT LEAST THREE TIMES THIS AMOUNT OF FISSIONABLE MATERIAL. THE INTRODUCTION OF THE LIQUID-METAL FAST BREEDER REACTOR WILL INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF WEAPONS-GRADE NUCLEAR MATERIAL AND NUMEROUS CRIMINAL AND TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BOTH THE MOTIVATION AND THE ABILITY TO STEAL THIS MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCT A WEAPON. SUBSTANTIAL ADVANCES HAVE BEEN MADE IN SAFEGUARDING THIS MATERIAL, BUT PARTICULAR ATTENTION STILL NEEDS TO BE PAID TO THE DIVERSION OR EMBEZZLEMENT OF THIS MATERIAL BY EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYEE OR NONEMPLOYEE HIJACKING OF AN AIR CARGO SHIPMENT, AND HIJACKING OF TRUCK SHIPMENTS. ORGANIZED CRIME SEEMS TO POSE THE GREATEST THREAT IN NONHOSTAGE SITUATIONS; TERRORISTS ARE THE GREATEST THREAT IN HOSTAGE SITUATIONS. IN LIGHT OF SOME OF THE OPERATIONS TERRORISTS HAVE SPONSORED, THE CURRENT ATTITUDE THAT A TERRORIST GROUP WOULD NOT FIND IT IN THEIR INTEREST TO EXPLODE A BOMB KILLING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SEEMS WEAK. SAFEGUARDS SHOULD BE INCREASED. APPENDIXES GIVE THE ENERGY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1974, A MANUAL FOR PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF PLANTS AND MATERIALS, AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR TRAINING, EQUIPPING, AND QUALIFYING GUARDS AND AND WATCHMEN. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. (GLR)