CHAPTER 2: PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S ACTION Chapter 2 discusses the Department of Energy's purpose and need to provide a tritium supply and recycling capability. 2.1 Purpose of and Need for the Department of Energy's Action Since nuclear weapons came into existence in 1945, a nuclear deterrent has been a cornerstone of the Nation's defense policy and national security. The President reiterated this principle in his July 3, 1993, radio address to the Nation. Tritium was used in the design process to enhance the yield of nuclear weapons and allows for the production of smaller or more powerful warheads to satisfy the needs of modern delivery systems. As a result, the United States strategic nuclear systems are based on designs that use tritium. Thus, the Nation requires a reliable supply source of tritium to maintain the nuclear weapon stockpile. Tritium has a relatively short radioactive half-life of 12.3 years. Because of this relatively rapid radioactive decay, tritium must be replenished periodically in nuclear weapons to ensure that they will function as designed. Over the past 40 years, the Department of Energy (DOE) has built and operated 14 reactors to produce nuclear materials, including tritium. Today, none of these reactors is operational, and no tritium has been produced since 1988. Pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, DOE is responsible for developing and maintaining the capability to produce nuclear materials such as tritium, that are required for the defense of the United States. The primary use of tritium is for maintaining the Nation's stockpile of nuclear weapons as directed by the President in the Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Plan (section 1.4.1). The Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Plan is normally forwarded annually from the Secretaries of the Department of Defense and DOE via the National Security Council to the President for approval. The Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Plan reflects the size and composition of the stockpile needed to defend the United States. The Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Plan provides an assessment of DOE's ability to support the proposed stockpile. Many factors are considered in the development of the Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Plan, including the status of the currently approved stockpile, arms control negotiations and treaties, Con- gressional constraints, and the status of the nuclear material production and fabrication facilities. Revisions of the Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Plan could be issued when any of the factors indicate the need to change requirements established in the annual document. The most current Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Plan, which was approved by President Clinton on March 7, 1994, authorizes weapons production and retirement through fiscal year 1999. The analysis in this Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) is based on the requirements of the 1994 Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Plan, which is based on START II stockpile levels (approximately 3,500 accountable weapons). The 1994 Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Plan represents the latest official guidance for tritium requirements. A Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Plan for 1995 has not yet been issued. Appendix CA, which is classified, contains quantitative projections for tritium requirements based on the 1994 Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Plan and details of a transportation analysis conducted by the National Security Council of shipping routes involved in nuclear weapons production. Even with a reduced nuclear weapons stockpile and no identified requirements for new nuclear weapons production in the foreseeable future, an assured long-term tritium supply and recycling capability will be required to maintain the weapons determined to be needed for national defense under the prevailing Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Plan. Presently, no source of new tritium is available. The effectiveness of the United States' nuclear deterrent capability depends not only on the Nation's current stockpile of nuclear weapons or those it can produce, but also on its ability to reliably and safely provide the tritium needed to support these weapons. Until a new tritium supply source is operational, DOE will continue to support tritium requirements by recycling tritium from weapons retired from the Nation's nuclear weapons stockpile (section 3.4.1). However, because tritium decays relatively quickly, recycling can only meet the tritium demands for a limited time. Current projections, derived from classified projections of future stockpile scenarios, indicate that recycled tritium will adequately support the Nation's nuclear weapons stockpile until approximately 2011 (figure 2.1-1). After that time, without a new tritium supply source, it would be necessary to use the strategic reserve of tritium to maintain the readiness of the nuclear weapons stockpile. The strategic reserve of tritium contains a quantity of tritium maintained for emergencies and contingencies. In such a scenario, once the strategic tritium reserve is depleted, the nuclear deterrent capability would degrade because not all of the weapons in the stockpile would be capable of functioning as designed. Eventually, the nuclear deterrent would be lost. The proposed tritium supply and recycling facilities would provide the capability to produce tritium safely and reliably to meet the Nation's defense requirements well into the 21st century while also complying with environment, safety, and health (ES&H) standards. Figure (Page 2-2) Figure 2.1-1.-Estimated Tritium Inventory and Reserve Requirements. DOE has analyzed the activities that must take place to bring a new tritium supply source into operation. The analysis indicates that it could take approximately 15 years to research, develop, design, construct, and test a new tritium supply source before new tritium production can begin. Thus, to have reasonable confidence that the Nation will be able to maintain an effective nuclear deterrent, prudent management dictates that DOE proceed with the proposed action now. In addition, DOE was required to meet a statutory deadline of March 1, 1995, to issue a PEIS addressing tritium supply alternatives (Public Law 103-160, section 3145). That deadline was met by the issuance of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Tritium Supply and Recycling in February 1995. Following public hearings, comments received have been considered in preparing this Final PEIS, which will be submitted to Congress to close out DOE's obligation with respect to the intent of Public Law 103-160, section3145.
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