Managing Critical Isotopes: Weaknesses in DOE's Management of Helium-3 Delayed the Federal Response to a Critical Supply Shortage

DOE has taken steps to communicate stewardship responsibility and improve communication regarding isotopes that are distributed by DOE's Isotope Program, but whose supplies are managed by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Specifically, the Isotope Program has been working with NNSA's Office of Nuclear Materials Integration (ONMI) to improve communication about supplies of and demand for isotopes that are distributed by the Isotope Program. According to an official in ONMI, the NNSA parent program for an isotope, i.e., the program that makes, uses, and/or stores an isotope, is responsible for managing the isotope. The Isotope Program works through the ONMI to collect information on supplies of isotopes managed by NNSA programs and to understand NNSA program needs for isotopes. For example, according to an NNSA report, the improved communication between ONMI and the Isotope Program led to the Isotope Program obtaining a supply of Curium-244 from NNSA. An official in ONMI explained that the Curium would have been sold to an overseas researcher, but instead it was transferred to the Isotope Program to use in creating other isotopes. According to the official in ONMI, communication between ONMI and the Isotope Program has improved greatly since our report was issued in 2011, which brought attention to the issues identified in that report.

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has established channels for communicating with DOE's Isotope Program about the inventory and disposition of materials that are managed by NNSA and distributed by the Isotope Program. Specifically, according to a NNSA report, its Office of Nuclear Material Integration (ONMI) has taken responsibility for communicating with DOE's Isotope Program through several channels. For example, the Isotope Program is represented on DOE's Nuclear Materials Advisory Board, along with other DOE and NNSA entities, and is chaired by ONMI. The Advisory Board meets periodically to discuss nuclear materials management issues including supply and disposition issues of materials that the Isotope Program distributes but does not produce. Additionally, the Isotope Program and ONMI jointly sponsor an annual federal workshop on isotopes that focuses on identifying and understanding the general demands of federal agencies. ONMI has also agreed to contact the Isotope Program prior to the disposition of materials to determine if there are other uses for the material. For example, according to the NNSA report, ONMI stopped the disposal of Curium-244--one of the 17 isotopes the Isotope Program distributes but does not produce--because the Isotope Program demonstrated a need for it to support heavy element production.

DOE's Isotope Program has taken action to understand the demand for isotopes it distributes, consistent with the recommendation of the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee. Specifically, the advisory committee recommended that the Isotope Program maintain a continuous dialogue with federal and commercial customers to forecast demand in order to match isotope demand with production capabilities. To accomplish this, the Isotope Program holds annual workshops and regularly communicates with customers. For example, the Isotope Program holds annual workshops devoted to understanding the isotope demands of federal agencies, commercial customers, and the medical industry. Through these workshops and other interactions, Isotope Program officials are able to meet one-on-one with customers to specifically discuss their isotope needs. The Isotope Program also established the National Isotope Development Center (NIDC) with the mission of interfacing with customers and managing the coordination of isotope production across the facilities and business operations involved in the production, sale, and distribution of isotopes.