Response to INESAP letter to President Bill Clinton
Department of Energy, Washington, USA October 31, 1997
Dear Mr. Kalinowksi,
Your letter to President Clinton concerning U.S. nuclear test policy has been referred to my office for a response.
This administration shares your view that a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a vital component of U.S. global nuclear security objectives. Indeed, President Clinton was the first world leader to sign the CTBT when it was opened for signature on September 24, 1996. Since that time, over 140 nations have signed, thus establishing an international norm against nuclear explosive testing.
The CTBT bans for all time nuclear weapon test explosions and any other nuclear explosions. In supporting and signing the CTBT, the President reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to ensure the remaining stockpile remains safe and reliable by establishing a set of necessary safeguards. A key safeguard is the Science-Based Stockpile Stewardship (SBSS) program. This program is designed to provide a high degree of confidence that the remaining nuclear stockpile can be certified safe and reliable without conducting nuclear weapon test explosions.
Subcritical experiments at the Nevada Test Site are an important SBSS program element. While these experiments use nuclear material, they are designed such that they can not sustain a nuclear chain reaction and, therefore, are not and can not be nuclear explosions. Rather, they will help the United States to monitor weapons reliability as the nuclear stockpile ages and to develop computer modelling data in the absence of nuclear testing.
The Department of Energy will conduct technical and environmental reviews to ensure that these experiments will neither reach criticality nor disperse nuclear material that could endanger public health, safety, or the environment. The experiments will all be publicly announced.
We appreciate hearing your views on this important issue. If you have any additional concerns, please contact my office. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Kenneth E. Baker
Acting Director
Office of Nonproliferation and National Security
