Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in a letter Monday asked Secretary of Energy Ernie Moniz for information on the current status of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence (NSDD) programs.
The letter, signed by committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.), and Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), says NSDD programs have partnered with 59 countries over the last five years to maintain deterrence and detection capabilities against trafficking of radiological and nuclear materials. These programs, which involve installation of radiation detection systems in participating nations, have cost about $1 billion over that time period, according to the letter.
“We write today because recent international developments – particularly the rise of well-funded terror groups and the curtailment of U.S.-Russian cooperation on nuclear material security – have underscored the importance of NNSA’s [NSDD] programs,” the lawmakers said, noting the committee seeks more information on “expenditures, technological development, and the progress of international cooperation within the program.”
The letter asked that Moniz work with congressional staff to offer briefings and other information to help the committee assess the status of those programs. “This should include information concerning technological capabilities and prospects for improvement, the quality of participation of foreign partners, and related efforts to ensure program goals are met expeditiously and cost-effectively,” it said.
A DOE spokesperson this week said only that the department has received and is reviewing the letter. A House Energy and Commerce Committee staffer said the letter speaks for itself and that the panel has nothing to add: “We have been in contact with DOE/NNSA and will be working on developing the necessary briefings and information for the Committee in coming weeks.”
The NNSA Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence programs (known as Second Line of Defense prior to a 2015 reorganization) encompass multiple initiatives dating as far back 1998 aimed at helping to interdict weapon-usable nuclear and radioactive substances at airports, seaports, and border crossings. Thousands of fixed, mobile, and hand-held devices have been installed in 66 countries, with a focus on the former Soviet Union and Central Asia.
The systems have detected special nuclear materials in a number of cases, along with hundreds of findings of radiological sources and contaminated material, NNSA officials said Thursday. While many of these situations proved innocuous, the technology also helped break up nuclear material smuggling attempts in Georgia and Moldova, they noted.
Funding for the program started small, at about $5 million annually, then increased after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to over $200 million in 2012. It is now back down to about $125 million to $140 million due to reduced congressional appropriations and transfer of the technology to the host nations, the officials said.
However, they said the threat remains significant. The extremely tense relationship with Russia renews fears about security of dangerous materials over time in that nation, while ISIS has stated its desire to acquire such substances and has proven its ability to carry out high-consequence terror strikes. “From our vantage point the broad picture looks pretty bleak right now,” one official said.
