19 October 1999
Text: Richardson Statement on Nuclear Stockpile Stewardship Program
(Review of accomplishments and structure of program announced) (790) U.S. Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson issued a statement October 14 on the nuclear Stockpile Stewardship Program, two days after the rejection of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) by the Senate. He announced a comprehensive internal review of the accomplishments and structure of the program. The Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) uses science-based computer technology rather than nuclear tests to assess the condition of nuclear weapons. Under the SSP, Richardson said, "the Secretaries of Defense and Energy have successfully certified the nuclear stockpile for the last three years, and we are well along our way to a fourth certification that the stockpile remains safe and reliable and that nuclear testing is not needed at this time." The review, to be headed by Under Secretary of Energy Ernest J. Moniz, "will examine the accomplishments of the program over the last three years and the program structure in meeting current and long-term needs for certifying the stockpile," Richardson said. The United States must ensure that "sufficient attention and resources" are being directed toward "recruiting and retaining the best scientists and engineers in our nation to meet the challenge of maintaining our nuclear stockpile without testing." The review will also examine activities "at the production facilities and at the national laboratories to ensure that the priority given to these important tasks is commensurate with the needs of the program." The United States "will inevitably continue to rely on the new paradigm for maintaining its weapons in the post-Cold War era," Richardson said. Following is the text of Richardson's statement: (begin text) U.S. Department of Energy October 14, 1999 STATEMENT BY SECRETARY RICHARDSON ON STOCKPILE STEWARDSHIP Last night President Clinton reaffirmed that the United States will continue to observe -- as we have since 1992 -- a policy of not conducting nuclear tests. As Secretary of Energy, one of my most important responsibilities is to ensure that the U.S. nuclear stockpile remains safe, secure and reliable without nuclear testing. The U.S. nuclear deterrent remains a supreme national interest of the United States. The Department of Energy, with our national laboratories and production facilities, will continue to maintain U.S. nuclear weapons through the Stockpile Stewardship Program. The program rests on developing an unprecedented set of scientific tools to better understand nuclear weapons, on significantly enhancing our surveillance capabilities, and on a completing a new manufacturing program needed to extend the life of our nuclear weapons. Through Stockpile Stewardship, the Secretaries of Defense and Energy have successfully certified the nuclear stockpile for the last three years, and we are well along our way to a fourth certification that the stockpile remains safe and reliable and that nuclear testing is not needed at this time. In order to ensure our continued confidence in the structure, progress and accomplishments of this important program, I have directed the Under Secretary of Energy Ernest J. Moniz to undertake a comprehensive internal review of the Stockpile Stewardship Program and to report back to me within 30 days. The review will examine the accomplishments of the program over the last three years and the program structure in meeting current and long-term needs for certifying the stockpile. This will form the basis for assessing whether the balance between program elements supports the national strategy. In particular, we must ensure that we are placing sufficient attention and resources to recruiting and retaining the best scientists and engineers in our nation to meet the challenge of maintaining our nuclear stockpile without testing. We must also review the balance of activities at the production facilities and at the national laboratories to ensure that the priority given to these important tasks is commensurate with the needs of the program. For the Stockpile Stewardship Program to be successful the Administration and the Congress must work together to demonstrate its commitment to the U.S. nuclear deterrent by providing for sustained and stable funding for the program over the years to come. This will be true whether or not a Test Ban Treaty is ratified, since the U.S. will inevitably continue to rely on the new paradigm for maintaining its weapons in the post-Cold War era where we are not building new weapons systems, and where we are dependent on a new set of facilities and scientific resources to meet this critical challenge. The importance of a credible nuclear deterrent to our national security was reaffirmed during the last week's Senate debate. We at the Department of Energy will continue our work to fulfill this important national security mission. (end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State)
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