Department of Homeland Security seeks New Radiation-Detecting Gear

The Bush Administration wants to put new devices that would detect radiation at our nation's land crossings and ports.

Old monitors have trouble telling the difference between weapons of mass destruction and the radiation in naturally occurring items like bananas and ceramics.

Despite the inefficiency, some are questioning the $1.2 billion cost.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is testing some of the new detectors on cargo coming into the port of New York. The program is aimed at stopping malevolent materials terrorists attempt to ship into the United States.

Critics believe nuclear materials that are heavily shielded -- for instance, encased in lead -- could fool even the most advanced detectors.

John Bowen of the Hometown Security blog chimes in, offering some solutions:

It's all protective intervention, with the goal of finding radioactive needles in the haystack of cargo. They are going to rely on state and local officials to do some of this detection, with some limited guidance from DNDO.

But the testing data on the radiation detectors is somewhat questionable, and the deployment schedule is falling behind. Hmm...

State and local authorities might want to consider other steps, such as identifying local sources of radioactivity and collaborating with their caretakers regarding their security (e.g., hospitals, food irradiators, oil and gas drilling operations, etc.) Another idea is what New York did - conduct a baseline radiological survey of the area, so that it easier to spot anomalous radiation.

The best security system will not solely rely on detection. The "detection" set of concentric rings should only be one in a system of concentric rings.

The Bush administration is expected to present its case for mass installation of the new devices to congress later this year.

-Dippold

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