Officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal agencies, national laboratories, and industry were on Capitol Hill yesterday to emphasize the need to ramp up monitoring of radiological materials and urge continued federal funding for programs that counter nuclear smuggling and prevent radiological dispersal device (RDD) attacks on the United States.
Huban Gowadia, director of DHS’ Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), said at a House Transportation Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee hearing that the continuing resolution that funds the government through Dec. 11 “would put a significant clamp on our ability to support [Customs and Border Protection], in particular to replace some of the aging radiation portal monitors and support operations at high-volume ports.” Joe Lawless, chairman of the Security Committee at the American Association of Port Authorities, agreed that developing monitoring technology will require continued funding. “I would suggest that the government fund these research projects like these drive-through portals . . . that could detect neutrons and gamma at the same time,” he said. The White House and Congress struck a two-year budget deal this week that would add $80 billion in defense and domestic spending.
A House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee summary of subject matter document noted that last year, “11 million shipping containers arrived on ships and entered U.S. seaports, representing nearly half of incoming U.S. trade.” The rapid transfer of cargo from ships to land transportation throughout the U.S. is “a possible conduit and target for terrorist activities,” it noted. Dirty bombs, RDDs that would use conventional explosives to spread radioactive material, contain elements that may be easily acquired worldwide. Explosions would be harmful to the public and would cause panic, “contaminate property, require a potentially costly cleanup, and if it occurred at a U.S. port, a shutdown of that port,” the summary says.
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