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Nuclear Terrorism Assessment of U.S. Strategies to Prevent, Counter, and Respond to Weapons of Mass Destruction (2024) / Chapter Skim
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6 The Risks Associated with Highly Enriched Uranium and Plutonium
Pages 72-81

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From page 72...
... There are longstanding gaps in efforts to consolidate weapons-useable nuclear materials. With the notable exception of the Cooperative Threat Reduction efforts with the former Soviet Union, the United States has largely focused on consolidating and minimizing civilian materials.
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From page 73...
... . 6.1 SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIAL Special nuclear materials, specifically HEU and separated plutonium, are the primary ingredients for a nuclear weapon.
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From page 74...
... 6.1.2 Plutonium FINDING 6-2: Inventories of separated plutonium are increasing worldwide, elevating the amount of materials that could potentially find their way to proliferant states or non state actors. In stark contrast to the work done to reduce HEU, there has not yet been a concerted effort to reduce civilian stockpiles of separated plutonium.
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From page 75...
... , but more progress is needed, especially given the expected expansion of civil nuclear energy to help combat climate change. 6.2 SECURITY OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS In locations where civilian stocks of special nuclear materials remain, implementing robust nuclear security measures must be a priority.
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From page 76...
... The Nuclear Threat Initiative's 2023 Nuclear Security Index, which is the most comprehensive public quantitative assessment of nuclear security conditions in 175 countries and Taiwan, found that, since 2020, nuclear security has been regressing in "countries and areas with the greatest responsibility for preventing nuclear theft and sabotage -- those with nuclear materials and facilities." (Nuclear Threat Initiative 2023) The study warns about the dangers of rapidly growing stocks of separated plutonium as a result of commercial reprocessing; insufficient progress strengthening security culture and insider threat prevention programs in countries with weapons-usable nuclear materials and nuclear facilities; and faltering support for new commitments and assurances that increase international confidence in the effectiveness of nuclear security.
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From page 77...
... From there, countries can prioritize better balancing the supply and demand of plutonium so that it is reduced over time. Although this committee did not undertake an independent review and validation of proliferation concerns with fuel cycles and developments in nuclear energy, similar and parallel concerns were examined in the National Academies' study "Merits and Viability of Different Nuclear Fuel Cycles and Technology Options and the Waste Aspects of Advanced Nuclear Reactors" (National Academies of Sciences 2023)
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From page 78...
... interagency process, IAEA access through the eligible facilities list, especially to those advanced reactor systems for which the IAEA does not currently have safeguards experience. Developers of these types of advanced reactors and fuel cycle facilities should provide facility information to the IAEA to help with integration of safeguards considerations into the design process." Additionally, the NRC ought to address security and material accounting measures for high-assay low-enriched uranium and other attractive nuclear materials that may be present in advanced reactor fuel cycles.
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From page 79...
... 2023. Merits and Viability of Different Nuclear Fuel Cycles and Technology Options and the Waste Aspects of Advanced Nuclear Reactors.
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From page 81...
... FIGURE 7-1 Workers remove a cesium-137 irradiator from Medstar Georgetown University Hospital in 2018. Efforts such as this have been highly effective in decreasing the number of at risk radiological sources in applications where safer alternatives are available.
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Key Terms

  • nuclear materials
  • separated plutonium
  • highly enriched
  • enriched uranium
  • special nuclear

  • nuclear energy
  • fuel cycles
  • nuclear material
  • nuclear fuel
  • spent fuel

  • mass destruction
  • security index
  • security summit
  • fuel cycle
  • metric tons

  • energy agency
  • international atomic
  • technology options
  • waste aspects
  • civilian nuclear

  • excess nuclear
  • national nuclear
  • nuclear facilities
  • nuclear threat
  • nuclear terrorism

  • advanced nuclear
  • spent nuclear
  • nti nuclear
  • civil nuclear
  • nuclear weapon


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