The Road to Zero: History and Personal Engagement
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has provided technical input to the long process that led to the negotiation and signing of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). This talk will provide an overview of that history as well as insight based on personal engagement into some of the significant events. Discussion will include the Congressionally mandated moratorium on nuclear testing (the Hatfield-Exon-Mitchel amendment to the 1993 Energy and Water Appropriation), the formation of the Science Based Stockpile Stewardship Program (SBSS), the “Confidence Conference” held in June 1995 and the subsequent actions that led to President William J. Clinton’s decision to negotiate a CTBT in August 1995, its signing in September 1996 and the failure of Congressional ratification in 1999. The talk will also briefly discuss treaty related activities occurring in Russia and China.
Dr. George H. Miller is Director Emeritus, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; he was the tenth Director of the Laboratory, serving from March 2006 until December 2011. Prior to becoming Laboratory Director, he served in a number of senior leadership positions at the Laboratory, including: Associate Director in charge of the nuclear weapons program from 1985 until 1996, Associate Director for National Security Programs from 1996 to 1999, and Associate Director for the National Ignition Facility from 1999 until 2006. Prior to 1980 Dr. Miller was a design physicist in the thermonuclear design division and responsible for 16 nuclear tests; he was the head of the thermonuclear design division from 1980 until 1985. In 1989, Dr. Miller provided scientific counsel to Secretary of Energy Admiral James D. Watkins while on a temporary assignment to the Department of Energy as Special Scientific Advisor on Weapons Activities. Dr. Miller Has been a member of the USSTRATCOM Strategic Advisory Group and Chairman of its Science, Technology, and Transformation Panel. He has received numerous awards and honors including the John S. Foster, Jr. Medal for contributions to U.S. National Security; the National Nuclear Security Administration Gold Award; and the U. S. Department of the Air Force Distinguished Service Award. He received his BS, MS and PhD in physics from the College of William and Mary.
Technical Contact: Brad Roberts
Event Manager: Katie Thomas, thomas94 [at] llnl.gov (thomas94[at]llnl[dot]gov)
