Department of Energy policy for protection against radiological and toxicological sabotage: Status and future direction

This paper describes current Department of Energy (DOE) radiological and toxicological sabotage policy, how this policy has evolved, and future directions this policy might take. The scope of this policy is limited to the consideration of a malevolent release of radioactive or other hazardous material used or stored at DOE facilities, rather than the use of external radioactive or hazardous materials as a weapon against DOE facilities. Protection against such types of sabotage must consider a range of matters, including design basis threats, facility design and construction, safety, security, and emergency planning measures. In any consideration of the subject of sabotage it is important that an interface be maintained between safeguards and security, environmental, safety and health, and emergency planning disciplines, in the prevention, mitigation, and response to potential sabotage events. A balance must be achieved, wherein these approaches complement each other while ensuring that the requirements for each are met. In particular, combined security/safety/emergency planning assessments can help to ensure that cost-effective measures are implemented with minimal adverse impact on these sometimes competing interests