GAO: DHS Doing Better on Radiation Screening of Incoming Traffic, but Needs to Do More
The Department of Homeland Security has made significant progress in deploying radiation detection equipment to scan for nuclear or radiological materials in nearly all trucks and containerized cargo coming into the U.S. through seaports and border crossings, GAO's head of security issues, David Maurer, said in testimony July 26 at the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies.
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But Maurer said challenges remain for the agency in developing a similar scanning capability for railcars entering this country from Canada and Mexico, as well as for international air cargo and international commercial aviation.
While federal efforts to combat nuclear smuggling have focused on established ports of entry, such as seaports and land border crossings, Maurer said, DNDO has also been examining nuclear detection strategies along other potential pathways in the architecture, including land border areas between ports of entry, international general aviation, and small maritime craft.
Maurer said as deployed portal radiation monitors begin to reach the end of their expected service lives, DHS will soon need to make decisions about whether to refurbish or replace them. Meanwhile, DHS is trying to complete the deployment of radiation detection equipment to scan all cargo and conveyances entering the U.S.
Maurer said challenges providing similar scanning capability for railcars from Canada and Mexico, and for international air cargo and international commercial aviation include:
- testing new equipment rigorously prior to acquisition and deployment
- obtaining the full concurrence of the end user to ensure that new equipment meets operational needs
- conducting a cost-benefit analysis.
DHS has made significant progress in equipping major entry points with scanners, Maurer said, but some smaller seaports that receive cargo may not be equipped with portal monitors. DHS officials told GAO they'll know how many more portal monitors will be deployed to these smaller seaports "when the agency completes its updated deployment plan in September." DHS officials also told GAO that, due to increased cargo volume at some major seaports, additional portal monitors may be needed to avoid delays in moving cargo through larger ports.
DHS officials told GAO they're considering cost-sharing arrangements with seaport operators for additional portal monitor deployments, Maurer said.
DHS told GAO that rail traffic poses unique scanning challenges due to the length of the trains (up to 2 miles), the distance required to stop moving trains, and the difficulties in separating individual cars for further examination. He also said rail companies typically own the land where DHS would need to establish stations for screening, and these companies often resist doing things that might slow rail traffic. DHS also said an effective solution would require scanning of at least some rail traffic on Mexican or Canadian soil, and it will take time to develop the close cooperation with officials in Mexico and Canada necessary to do so.