Chemical & Biological National Security Program FY00 Annual Report; DOE/NN-0015

Washington DC: U. S. Department of Energy, 2001. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Trade paperback. Very good. 217, [3] pages. Illustrations. Cover has some wear and soiling. The mission of the Office of Nonproliferation and Arms Control (NPAC) is to prevent proliferation, ensure peaceful nuclear uses, and enable verifiable nuclear reductions. NPAC provides a comprehensive approach to strengthen nonproliferation and arms control regimes, achieving its mission through four subprograms: International Nuclear Safeguards; Nuclear Controls; Nuclear Verification; Nonproliferation Policy. One of the gravest threats the United States and the international community face is the possibility that terrorists or rogue nations will acquire nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction (WMD). NNSA, through its Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN), works closely with a wide range of international partners, key U.S. federal agencies, the U.S. national laboratories, and the private sector to secure, safeguard, and/or dispose of dangerous nuclear and radiological material, and detect and control the proliferation of related WMD technology and expertise. The Office of Nonproliferation Research and Engineering, part of the National Nuclear Security Administration within the Department of Energy, conducts wide-ranging research for diverse end users at the federal and local level. As such, the Office faces a number of unusual challenges in determining how to best serve its users' needs within its budget. The Chemical & Biological National Security Program was initiated in FY97 in response to the growing awareness of both the chemical and biological weapon capabilities available to potential attackers and the vulnerabilities of the U.S> population to these weapons. From the outset, the program has drawn from the deep scientific and engineering talents in the national laboratories as well as from specialized expertise in academia and industry. A basic philosophy of the CBNP is that any near-term impact of research and development requires a mission focus. The program's goal was not just to develop technology but to apply it to solve real problems and to develop, demonstrate and deliver technologies and systems to improved domestic defense capabilities and, ultimately, to save lives in the event of a chemical or biological attack.