September 16, 1999
Since 1994, the Department of Energy (Department) and its national laboratories have worked in the
successor states of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) to improve nuclear material security and accountability. The
goal of the Department's Nuclear Material Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPC&A) program is to reduce
the threat of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism by rapidly upgrading physical protection and material control
and accounting systems at FSU facilities using modern technology and strict material control and accounting
principles. The Department is attempting to achieve this goal by providing assistance in the form of expertise, funds,
and equipment to facilities in the FSU that store, process, and/or transport plutonium or highly enriched uranium.
The Department has accomplished much towards achieving its goal of reducing the threat of nuclear
proliferation and nuclear terrorism. It made significant progress in expanding the number of FSU sites
participating in the program, from only 9 sites in Fiscal Year 1994 to 53 in Fiscal Year 1998. In addition,
U.S. MPC&A project teams developed productive working relationships with FSU personnel and installed sitewide
MPC&A systems, which reduced the threat of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism at
numerous FSU sites.
The objective of the audit was to assess whether the Department ensured that funds and equipment provided to the
FSU under the MPC&A program were accounted for and used for their intended purposes.
Office of Inspector General
