The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has removed the last high-risk cesium-137 source from North Dakota, making it the 14th U.S. state or territory to eliminate high-risk quantities of the radioactive material.
The Department of Energy’s semiautonomous agency announced the milestone Wednesday, describing it as part of its broader effort to reduce the risk that high-activity radioactive sources could be exploited by bad actors for use in a radiological dispersal device, commonly known as a dirty bomb.
The final cesium-137 irradiator in the state was removed in May from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks by a team from the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory. Cesium-137 has long been used in medical irradiators for blood treatment and cancer research but is considered a security concern because of its potential misuse.
“Clearing North Dakota of cesium-137 is a massive win, advancing NNSA’s mission to deny adversaries access to high-risk radioactive material that could endanger Americans,” NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams said in a statement.
The removal leaves North Dakota free of high-risk quantities of cesium-137, joining Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming.
The effort is part of NNSA’s Office of Radiological Security mission to reduce radiological threats by removing high-activity radioactive sources and working with industry, law enforcement and government partners to prevent their theft or misuse.