RRFM 2009 Transactions - European Nuclear Society

AN OVERVIEW OF THE GLOBAL THREAT REDUCTION INITIATIVE
ACCELERATING THREAT REDUCTION
ANDREW J. BIENIAWSKI
Assistant Deputy Administrator
Office of Global Threat Reduction
National Nuclear Security Administration
U.S. Department of Energy
ABSTRACT
The Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) mission is to reduce and protect vulnerable
nuclear and radiological materials located at civilian sites worldwide. GTRI helps the
Department of Energy achieve its Nuclear Security Goal to prevent the acquisition of
nuclear and radiological materials that could be used in weapons of mass destruction or
other terrorists’ acts.
Three key GTRI subprograms provide a comprehensive approach to denying terrorists
access to nuclear and radiological materials and provide permanent threat reduction.
• The Convert subprogram supports conversion of domestic and international civilian
research reactors and isotope production facilities from the use of HEU to LEU, and
eliminates civilian use of HEU. These efforts result in permanent threat reduction
• The Remove subprogram supports removal or disposal of excess nuclear and
radiological materials from civilian sites worldwide, and eliminates potential targets for
terrorists to acquire nuclear and radiological materials. These efforts result in permanent
threat reduction
• The Protect subprogram supports security of high-priority nuclear and radiological
materials worldwide from theft and sabotage, and increases physical security at
vulnerable nuclear and radiological sites.
1. Introduction – President Obama’s Vision for Nuclear Security
President Barack Obama has a comprehensive strategy for nuclear security that will reduce the
danger of nuclear terrorism, prevent the spread of nuclear weapons capabilities, and strengthen
the nuclear nonproliferation regime. i
The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) within
the Department of Energy’s (DOE) contributes to this strategy and has the mission to reduce
and protect vulnerable nuclear and radiological material located at civilian sites worldwide.
GTRI supports the U.S. Department of Energy’s nuclear security goal by preventing terrorists
from acquiring nuclear and radiological materials that could be used in weapons of mass
destruction or other acts of terrorism.
The primary weapons of concern for GTRI are nuclear materials that could be used by terrorists
to fabricate a crude nuclear bomb and radiological materials that would be most effective for a
radiological dispersal device (RDD, also referred to as a ‘Dirty Bomb’). Of particular concern
are the thousands of civilian sites where nuclear and radiological materials are used for
legitimate and beneficial commercial, medical, and research purposes. This is because civilian
sites generally have less protection than military stockpiles of nuclear materials.
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