INDEX
CHAPTER VI
INACTIVE MATERIALS
1. GENERAL. The management of inactive nuclear material has as its primary
objective the prompt return of material to the DOE supply inventory
after it is no longer needed by the user program. The management
process includes: early determination that the material is inactive;
proper characterization of the material as to quantity and chemical and
physical composition; identification of programs that can use the
material in its existing form; processing of materials, if needed, for
long-term safe storage or distribution to user programs; and the
availability of acceptable facilities for long-term storage.
2. REQUIREMENTS.
a. Usable Inactive Nuclear Materials.
(1) "M" Project Numbers. Field offices shall assign an "M"
project number to usable inactive nuclear material returned
from user projects for which they have programmatic
responsibility. The establishment of "M" project numbers must
be approved in advance by the Office of Nuclear Weapons
Management. Nuclear material transferred from a user project
number to an "M" project number is considered a "return" for
allotment purposes (see Chapter IV).
(2) Inactive Materials Bulletins. Field offices will issue
Inactive Materials Bulletins to other field offices and the
Office of Nuclear Weapons Management, to notify potential
users of the availability of usable inactive nuclear
materials. Inactive Materials Bulletins should contain
descriptive information on the nuclear material, including
quantity, assay, and chemical and physical form.
(3) Requesting Usable Inactive Materials. Field offices that have
contractors that are interested in obtaining nuclear materials
listed in an Inactive Materials Bulletin should contact the
Office of Nuclear Weapons Management with details of the
planned use for the material. If justified, the Office of
Nuclear Weapons Management will authorize transfer of the
material. Nuclear material obtained by a user program from an
"M" project number is considered a "withdrawal" for allotment
purposes (see Chapter IV).
(4) Transfers of "M" Project Materials. Nuclear material with an
"M" project number retains its "M" designator, irrespective of
location, until transferred to a user program, a supply
project, or the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste
Management for management. "M" project material may not be
transferred, shipped offsite, or processed without approval by
the Office of Nuclear Weapons Management.
(5) Handling and Storage of "M" Project Materials. The field
office program which supplies the usable inactive nuclear
material that is designated with an "M" project number is
responsible for all costs associated with the handling and
storage of such material until it is transferred to other user
programs or transferred to another site for storage and/or
processing and the receiving site assumes management and
financial responsibility.
(6) Processing "M" Project Materials. Field offices responsible
for contractors who process "M" project materials to other
product forms shall assign supply project numbers to the
processed products. The use of such supply project numbers
must be approved in advance by the Office of Nuclear Weapons
Management.
b. Unusable Inactive Nuclear Materials
(1) Unirradiated Scrap at Sites Without Processing Capability.
(a) Retention Determination. Field offices responsible for
programs that generate unusable nuclear material scrap
and residues are responsible for determining if the
materials should be retained for future processing or
discarded. Such determinations should be based on
discard methodology or guidance issued by the Office of
Nuclear Weapons Management. If assistance is needed, the
appropriate Central Scrap Management Office or the Office
of Nuclear Weapons Management should be contacted. If
the material is to be retained, the field office shall
assign an "E" project number. Normally, this is
accomplished by replacing the first character of the
project number with an "E". The "E" project
identification is retained, irrespective of location of
the material, until the material is actually processed
for recovery. If the material is to be discarded,
disposal must be coordinated with the Office of
Environmental Restoration and Waste Management program.
Discarded material to be retained in inventory under the
program management control of the Office of Environmental
Restoration and Waste Management shall be assigned an "I"
project number. Discarded material disposed of as waste
shall be removed from the accountability system in
accordance with DOE 5633.3A, 5633.4, and 5633.5.
(b) Handling and Storage of "E" Project Material. The field
office program that generates nuclear material scrap and
residues which are designated as "E" project material,
maintains responsibility for all costs associated with
handling, storage, and characterization (if required) of
the material until it is sent to another site for storage
and/or processing, and the receiving site assumes
management and financial responsibility.
(c) Central Scrap Management Office Activities. The Central
Scrap Management Office shall have primary responsibility
for arranging for the transfer of "E" project material
for processing and/or storage and actual processing of
the material. The Central Scrap Management Office shall
coordinate these activities with the Office of Nuclear
Weapons Management.
(d) Processing "E" Project Material. The field office
responsible for the contractor that processes "E" project
material to an acceptable product form shall assign an
appropriate "supply" project number to the product. The
use of supply project numbers must be approved in advance
by the Office of Nuclear Weapons Management.
(2) Unirradiated Scrap at Sites With Processing Capability.
(a) Retention Determination. Field offices responsible for
programs that generate unusable nuclear material scrap
and residues are responsible for determining if the
material should be retained for future processing or
discarded. The decision should be based on discard
methodology or guidance issued by the Office of Nuclear
Weapons Management. If assistance is needed, the
appropriate Central Scrap Management Office or the Office
of Nuclear Weapons Management should be contacted. If
the material is to be retained and it will not be
processed onsite to a product form within a 2-year
period, the field office shall assign it an "E" project
number. (Scrap that is expected to be processed within
the 2-year period retains its project number and shall be
handled according to procedures established by the
cognizant field office.) The "E" project identification
is retained, irrespective of location of the material,
until the material is actually recovered. For material
to be discarded, disposal must be coordinated with the
Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management.
Discarded material retained in inventory under the
program management control of the Office of Environmental
Restoration and Waste Management shall be assigned an "I"
project number. Discarded material disposed of as waste
shall be removed from the accountability system in
accordance with DOE 5633.A, 5633.4 and 5633.5.
(b) Processing Arrangements.
1 Onsite Processing. The field office responsible for
the contractor that generates and processes the "E"
project material shall have the primary
responsibility for arranging and scheduling the
processing of the material. Such activities shall
be coordinated with the Office of Nuclear Weapons
Management.
2 Offsite Processing. It may be desirable to process
"E" project material at a site other than where
generated. In such instances, the field office
responsible for establishing the "E" project should
contact the appropriate Central Scrap Management
Office for materials disposition arrangements.
Central Scrap Management Office responsibilities for
this material will be similar to that under
paragraph 2b(1)(c), "Central Scrap Management Office
Activities."
(c) Processing "E" Project Material. The field office
responsible for the contractor that processes the "E"
project materials to an acceptable product form shall
assign appropriate "supply" project numbers to the
product. The use of supply project numbers must be
approved in advance by the Office of Nuclear Weapons
Management.
(3) Unusable Irradiated Nuclear Material.
(a) Project Identification. Field offices responsible for
contractors that generate unusable irradiated nuclear
material are responsible for assigning "E" project
numbers to the material unless it is scheduled for onsite
processing to a product form within 2 years (in which
case the material retains its project number) or the
material is transferred to the Office of Environmental
Restoration and Waste Management. Nuclear material
assigned an "E" project number will retain that
identification until the material is recovered or
transferred to the Office of Environmental Restoration
and Waste Management.
(b) Processing "E" Project Materials. The field office
responsible for the contractor that processes irradiated
nuclear material with an "E" project number shall assign
an appropriate supply project number to the recovered
material if it is processed to an acceptable product
form. The use of supply project numbers shall be
approved in advance by the Office of Nuclear Weapons
Management.
(c) Transfer of Nuclear Material to the Office of
Environmental Restoration and Waste Management. Unusable
irradiated nuclear material having "E" project
identification that is transferred to the Office of
Environmental Restoration and Waste Management for
program management shall be redesignated with an "I"
project number. The field office responsible for the
site holding the material is responsible for establishing
and reporting the "I" project number. If needed, the
Office of Nuclear Weapons Management should be contacted
for assistance in establishing the project number.
(d) Transfer of Sites to the Office of Environmental
Restoration and Waste Management for Management Control.
When sites are transferred to the Office of Environmental
Restoration and Waste Management for management control,
any unusable irradiated nuclear material existing at the
sites shall be redesignated with an "I" project number if
there are no plans to recover the nuclear material. The
procedures for establishing the "I" project numbers are
the same as paragraph (3)(c) above. (See "I" Material
definition.)
(4) Unirradiated Nuclear Material at Sites Controlled by the
Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management.
Unirradiated nuclear material at sites controlled by the
Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management
(material categorized as waste not included) shall be
identified by an appropriate project number.
(a) Unusable nuclear materials under the program management
of the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste
Management, for which no recovery processing is planned
(except that which is incidental to stabilization), shall
be identified with an "I" project number. The field
office responsible for the site controlled by the Office
of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management shall
establish the "I" project number. If needed, the Office
of Nuclear Weapons Management should be contacted for
assistance in establishing the project number.
(b) Other nuclear materials (such as scrap and residues held
for future recovery onsite or elsewhere and other forms
of material held for future recovery and/or use) shall be
identified with appropriate project numbers established
by the Office of Nuclear Weapons Management. The field
office responsible for the site controlled by the Office
of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management should
contact the Office of Nuclear Weapons Management to
establish these project numbers.
c. Reserves. The Office of Nuclear Weapons Management is responsible
for managing the nuclear material reserves. The primary source of
the nuclear material for these reserves is retired nuclear warheads
returned to DOE by DOD. However, other inactive nuclear materials
(both usable and unusable) in DOE inventories may also be
designated reserves. The Office of Nuclear Weapons Management will
establish specific project numbers to identify nuclear materials in
the reserve category.
3. RESPONSIBILITIES.
a. Field Offices.
(1) Assign "M" project numbers to usable inactive nuclear
materials (coordination with the Office of Nuclear Weapons
Management).
(2) Issue Inactive Materials Bulletins to advertise the
availability of usable inactive nuclear materials.
(3) Assist contractors in determining if unusable nuclear material
scrap and residues generated at their sites should be retained
or discarded. (Based on discard methodology or guidance
provided by the Office of Nuclear Weapons Management and/or
guidance from the appropriate Central Scrap Management
Office.)
(4) Assign "E" project numbers to unusable inactive nuclear
material scrap and residues, and irradiated nuclear fuel and
targets.
(5) Assign "supply" project numbers to nuclear material product
forms obtained from processing "E" and, if applicable, "M"
project materials (coordination with the Office of Nuclear
Weapons Management).
(6) Assign "I" project numbers to unusable nuclear materials
transferred to the Office of Environmental Restoration and
Waste Management according to the procedures in this Order.
(7) Fund for all costs associated with the handling, storage and
characterization (if required) of nuclear material scrap and
residues generated from their programs, even after such
material is designated as "E" or "M" project material. This
responsibility continues until the material is sent to another
site for storage and/or processing and the receiving site
assumes management and funding responsibility.
(8) Fund for Central Scrap Management Office operations, if
applicable.
b. Headquarters Programs.
(1) Review nuclear material inventories assigned to their programs
to ensure that continued retention is justified.
(2) Report program changes that will result in the generation of
unneeded materials (such as a reduction in funding level), to
the Office of Nuclear Weapons Management and the applicable
field office.
(3) Fund for the storage, handling, characterization, packaging,
and shipment of nuclear materials generated in their programs
as noted in paragraph 3a(7) above.
c. Director of the Office of Nuclear Weapons Management.
(1) Assists field offices in establishing project numbers.
(2) Authorizes the use of "M" project numbers.
(3) Manages "M" project nuclear materials.
(4) Coordinates management of "E" project materials.
(5) Coordinates disposition of usable inactive nuclear materials
reported on Inactive Materials Bulletins.
(6) Investigates the uses of inactive nuclear materials by other
Government agencies and/or sale to industry.
(7) Issues nuclear material values, methodology, and guidance to
determine the merits of recovering, continuing to store, or
discarding nuclear materials.
(8) Determines if scrap containing nuclear material is to be
discarded, if requested by the field offices or DOE
management. These requests should be limited to special cases
where discard limits have not been established or an exemption
from established discard limits is being requested.
(9) Manages nuclear material reserves, as defined by Presidential
directive, law, or strategic management plans.
d. Central Scrap Management Offices. Arrange for the transfer of "E"
project nuclear material scrap and residues to other sites, and
schedule the processing of such materials to a product form
(coordination with the Office of Nuclear Weapons Management).
e. Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program. Manages
"I" project materials and other nuclear materials designated for
the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management
program management.