Report Urges DHS to Find New Ways to Test Nuclear Detectors at Ports
A new report says the government must develop a better way to evaluate the effectiveness of today’s technology to detect nuclear and radiological material at US ports.

The Associated Press’ Eileen Sullivan says the GAO has been skeptical about how the DHS tests these systems, so the DHS called for an independent audit into its testing.

“The report by the Homeland Security Institute did not find that the testing has been biased or results manipulated,” Sullivan says. However, the report “did say the department should devise a better process to test and evaluate how effective the machines are.”

The machines are intended to address concerns that a nuclear bomb, hidden in a cargo container, could detonate in an American port. Sullivan says the DHS plans to spend about $350 million to develop and deploy next generation radiation monitors that will screen cargo, cars and trucks that come through ports.

“The portal monitors now in use cost about $82,000 and can detect the presence of radiation. They cannot distinguish between harmless or dangerous material. Radioactive material can be found naturally in ceramics and kitty litter, for instance,” Sullivan says.

Sullivan notes that the Port of Los Angeles-Long Beach gets 400 to 500 nuclear alarms a day, and the new monitors should reduce that to 40 to 50. About 200 Customs officers are assigned at this port to deal with the alarms. The improved detection systems will relieve the burden on the Customs officers.