Cantwell Faults Lack of Agency Coordination, Missed Deadlines in Dirty Bomb Incident at Border
Senator points out gaps in radioactive materials licensing and tracking, pushes agencies to expedite implementation
WASHINGTON, DC – Wednesday, in response to a security lapse that allowed undercover agents using false documents to smuggle radioactive material across the U.S.-Canada border, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) called for stricter controls and an effective system to help border agents verify the authenticity of documents presented by those transporting potentially dangerous materials.
“There are simply too many gaping holes in our nation’s security,” said Cantwell, a member of the Senate Energy Committee. “We need better communication and better monitoring to make sure our border agents can detect counterfeit documents, keep dangerous materials out of our country, and keep America safe. Last year, Congress demanded better monitoring and stricter controls. To date, we have implemented neither. Our country can’t afford this risk, and I’ll continue fighting for real action and meaningful answers until our borders have the reliable security we desperately need.”
Wednesday, Cantwell wrote to the Chairman Nils Diaz of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Secretary Michael Chertoff of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In her letter, Cantwell criticized NRC’s failure to implement controls over radioactive materials called for by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The legislation gave NRC six months to issue improved regulations. NRC not only failed to meet this deadline, but may also miss an August 2006 deadline to establish a system to track radioactive materials within the United States.
In her letter, Cantwell asked when NRC would finalize the overdue rules and implement the much-needed tracking system. Cantwell also pointed to the need for a system in which U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents can effectively verify documents presented by those attempting to bring dangerous materials into the U.S.
“As I understand it, the Department of Homeland Security does not presently require CBP agents to verify the authenticity of these licensing documents,” wrote Cantwell. “The NRC, in turn, does not have a database to enable CBP agents to do so if they tried. For multiple reasons, I find this to be a shocking oversight. A gas station next door to the border crossing in Blaine, Washington, can verify the validity of a credit card in a matter of seconds; yet it appears DHS and the NRC have failed to put in place the necessary systems to efficiently verify a radiological materials license.”
“As the GAO investigation has made clear, we cannot allow the lack of competent, interagency coordination and the failure to deploy widely-available technology to jeopardize the security of our citizens any longer,” Cantwell continued.
Last December, as described in a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, undercover federal agents were able to obtain and transport enough radioactive material through checkpoints along America’s northern and southern borders to produce two dirty bombs. While border inspectors detected the radioactive materials, they did not question the validity of counterfeit NRC documents presented by the undercover agents. Cantwell’s letter to NRC and DHS can be accessed here
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