Disarmament Diplomacy
Issue No. 10, November 1996
Department of Energy press releases and statements:
Fissile Materials; Non-Proliferation Assistance; Resignation of
Secretary O'Leary
Fissile Materials
'Trilateral Initiative on Verifying Excess Weapon Origin
Fissile Materials', Press Statement, 8 November 1996
Full text
"The United States, the Russian Federation, and the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have launched a new
initiative concerning the application of IAEA verification of
weapon origin fissile materials. US Secretary of Energy Hazel R.
O'Leary, Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Viktor Mikhailov, and
IAEA Director General Hans Blix announced the trilateral initiative
on 17 September, 1996, at the 40th General Conference of the IAEA
in Vienna, Austria.
The trilateral initiative, which is to result in a joint
progress report by June 1997, is parallel to, and complementary to,
commitments made by Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin regarding the
transparency and irreversibility of nuclear arms reduction.
As the first step in the initiative, representatives from Russia
and the IAEA visited three Department of Energy sites this week:
Argonne National Laboratory - West; the Hanford Site; and the Rocky
Flats Environmental Technology Site. During the visits to Hanford
and Rocky Flats, information was exchanged on US-IAEA experience
regarding inspections under the Voluntary Offer Safeguards
Agreement at US facilities to verify that excess plutonium
currently under IAEA safeguards at those sites is not used for
weapons.
Today the first trilateral consultations at the expert level
were conducted. It was decided that further discussion would occur
in Moscow in December 1996."
Non-Proliferation assistance to Newly Independent
States
Progress Reviewed on Technical Support to Newly Independent
States in Non-proliferation Field, Press Release PR 96/24, 11
November 1996
Full text
"A meeting was held at the headquarters of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna 6-8 November to review
implementation of agreed plans to help Newly Independent States
(NIS) of the former Soviet Union in fulfilling their nuclear
non-proliferation commitments.
As most NIS have become parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT) as non-nuclear weapon states, a number of donor
countries have offered bilateral assistance to set up: State
Systems of Accounting and Control (SSACs) of nuclear material;
physical protection of such material; and import/export controls.
The IAEA has played a coordinating role by helping to identify
specific needs in individual states and appropriate donor
support.
The meeting was attended by representatives of 14 Newly
Independent States and 9 donor States - Australia, Finland, France,
Hungary, Japan, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States.
In addition, Argentina, Canada, the Republic of Korea and Turkey
attended as observers.
The meeting underlined the need for an integrated approach to
nuclear nonproliferation encompassing SSACs, physical protection
and import/export controls. Also stressed as basic requirements
were the establishment of an appropriate framework of national
nuclear laws and regulations in each recipient state, plus the
necessary political commitment and coordination.
The IAEA's continued role in coordinating technical support for
the NIS was welcomed, and the Agency has offered to organize
similar annual reviews in future, provided the necessary assistance
is forthcoming."
Resignation of Secretary O'Leary
Statement from the Department of Energy, N-96-048, 13
November 1996
Full text
"Yesterday, Secretary of Energy Hazel R. O'Leary met with
President Clinton to discuss the accomplishments at the Department
of Energy and remaining challenges for the administration's second
term. Her focus was also on the orderly transition to a new
administration. The President recognized the many successes of the
Department of Energy, including the difficult chore of changing
culture while accepting significant new responsibilities.
Today, she submitted her letter of resignation to President
Clinton. This was the culmination of her early commitment to serve
the nation as Secretary of Energy for four years. Her resignation
is effective 20 January, 1997. Under Secretary O'Leary's
leadership, the Clinton administration has addressed critical
national issues
and made clear progress for the American people. The Department
has:
* Worked to enhance national security in the post-Cold War-era.
It provided the technical foundation and path-breaking science to
end nuclear weapons testing, achieve a Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty and ensure the safety and reliability of the remaining
weapons arsenal.
* Become more open and more accountable to the public. Through
this public trust, the Department was able to make significant
progress on cleaning up weapons sites, help stem the international
spread of nuclear weapons materials and introduce corporate
business practices to the Department of Energy.
* Contributed to the President's plan to eliminate the federal
budget deficit by the year 2002. The Department radically reformed
the way it does business, in support of the Vice President's charge
to do more with less. The Department adopted performance-based
contracting practices, privatized functions, realigned our
workforce and undertook the first comprehensive review of the
national laboratories. These changes will save taxpayers $10.5
billion over a five-year period. Since 1993, the Department's
budget has declined from $19.3 billion to $16.5 billion in
1997.
* Turned the corner on remediation of the environmental legacy
of the Cold War. Nationwide, the Department has moved from study to
cleanup of 744 waste sites at the nation's former nuclear weapons
facilities, compared with the 68 that were cleaned up during the
previous administration.
* Worked to increase the diversity of the nation's energy
supplies, improve energy efficiency and advance the development of
renewable sources of energy. In partnership with industry, the
Department won more 'R& D 100' awards - the Nobel Prize for
technology - than all other government agencies combined and more
than twice as many as the top industrial winner.
* Helped improve the position of the United States in the global
economic marketplace by promoting clean energy and advanced
technologies. The Department has worked for American companies to
secure business and jobs internationally, where energy
infrastructure growth is estimated at $4 trillion.
* Continued to be recognized for outstanding achievements in
basic science by its national laboratories and scientists. Four of
five 1995 Nobel Prizes in chemistry and physics and two of three
1996 Nobel Prizes in physics were awarded for DOE-supported
research.
Secretary O'Leary also expresses gratitude and pride in the
people of the Department of Energy who are responsible for these
achievements. Despite bitter partisan attack to the worth and
vitality of the agency, her colleagues have worked tirelessly and
loyally to deliver on important commitments related o the
Department's national security, energy, environmental, science and
technology, and economic missions."
© 1999 The Acronym Institute.
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