IN THE DOE
The Department of Energy’s Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) has been designated a collaborating center for radiological assistance by the Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization. REACTS first received the designation in 1980, according to information provided by Oak Ridge Associated Universities, the managing contractor.
REAC/TS is set up to respond to radiation events around the nation and the world on short notice, also providing direct support for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Emergency Operations and the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center.
“Adding to its depth of radiation response and consultation capabilities, REAC/TS is uniquely qualified to teach medical personnel, health physicists, first responders, emergency planners, public health professionals and occupational health professionals about radiation emergency medicine,” ORAU said.
The Oak Ridge-based facility soperates a “cytogenetic biodosimetry laboratory,” which is one of only two labs in the United States that analyzes chromosome damage to determine the radiation doses received.
IN THE NNSA
Steve Aoki, associate administrator for counterterrorism and counterproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), has retired, the NNSA announced last week. Aoki retired Dec. 31 after 33 years of work with the federal government, including at the State Department and the National Security Council, the agency said. Jay Tilden, the NNSA Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation Office’s deputy associate administrator since 2012, will serve as acting associate administrator, and Dave Bowman will take over as acting deputy associate administrator, the NNSA said.
The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Nevada Field Office is seeking small business sources for technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM) support at the Nevada National Security Site, National Security Technologies offices in Livermore, Calif. and Los Alamos, N.M., and other sites, according to a sources sought notice posted last week. The Department of Energy’s TSCM program seeks to detect and deter technical security hazards and protect classified and sensitive material from technical surveillance intrusions. The TSCM support services contractor will contribute to the program’s facility surveys, inspections, monitoring, briefing, and other functions intended to identify technical security vulnerabilities, according to the draft performance work statement. The contract period of performance is expected to consist of a 12-month base period with four 12-month option periods, and responses must be submitted through www.fedconnect.net by Jan. 29.
IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT
Frank Rose, the State Department’s assistant secretary for arms control, verification, and compliance, is traveling in Europe to meet with foreign officials on arms control and related topics. The State Department announced last Friday that Rose will meet with senior government officials in France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy until Jan. 18 “for bilateral discussions on arms control, nuclear security, ballistic missile defense, and outer space security.” Rose will then travel to Ukraine for space security meetings, followed by a visit to Finland for arms control talks, the State Department said. Rose will be in Sweden from Jan. 22-24 to discuss with officials disarmament, strategic stability, and the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification, the announcement said. He will then visit Estonia and Lithuania before returning on Jan. 27.
