Combating Nuclear Terrorism: Federal Efforts to Respond to Nuclear and Radiological Threats and to Protect Emergency Response Capabilities Could Be Strengthened

As a separately organized agency within the Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) maintains an emergency response capability to quickly respond to potential nuclear and radiological threats in the United States. In a September 2006 report entitled Combating Nuclear Terrorism: Federal Efforts to Respond to Nuclear and Radiological Threats and to Protect Emergency Response Capabilities Could Be Strengthened (GAO-06-1015), GAO found that NNSA had a number of critical capabilities and assets that exist only at two key emergency response facilities--the Remote Sensing Laboratories at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. Their loss would significantly hamper DOE's ability to quickly prevent and respond to a nuclear or radiological emergency. In addition, because the capabilities and assets at these facilities had not been fully dispersed, physical security measures may not have been sufficient for protecting the facilities against a terrorist attack. To address these concerns, GAO recommended that the Administrator of NNSA review the physical security measures at the Remote Sensing Laboratories and determine whether additional measures should be taken to protect the facilities against a loss of critical emergency response capabilities or whether it was more cost-effective to fully disperse its capabilities and assets to multiple areas of the country. In response to our recommendation, the Administrator tasked the Associate Administrator for Emergency Response and the Associate Administrator for Defense Nuclear Security to review the physical security measures at the two laboratories. Their independent reviews concluded that security at those facilities was adequate and that it was not cost effective to further disperse emergency response capabilities to other facilities.

In response to our recommendation, in May 2008, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), completed an assessment of the benefits and limitations of aerial background radiation surveys that will be distributed to state and local government officials. In addition, since NNSA and DHS concluded that conducting more surveys would help prevent and respond to a nuclear or radiological attack, in January 2008, they began a pilot project with government and law enforcement officials from Chicago to explore ways to outfit helicopters owned by state governments with radiation detection equipment. Training on how to conduct aerial background radiation surveys were completed in April and May of 2008 in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

In response to our recommendation, in May 2008, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), completed an assessment of the benefits and limitations of aerial background radiation surveys that will be distributed to state and local government officials. In addition, since NNSA and DHS concluded that conducting more surveys would help prevent and respond to a nuclear or radiological attack, in January 2008, they began a pilot project with government and law enforcement officials from Chicago to explore ways to outfit helicopters owned by state governments with radiation detection equipment. Training on how to conduct aerial background radiation surveys were completed in April and May of 2008 in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

In response to our recommendations, in May 2008, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), in consultation with the Departement of Homeland Security (DHS), completed an assessment of the costs, benefits, and limitations of aerial background radiation surveys. DHS then posted this assessment on its Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN), which is a computer-based communications system that provides information to all authorized state and local government officials on counterterrorism and homeland security programs and activities. State and local government officials can obtain information about the surveys through this site. Putting this information on the HSIN increased awareness of state and local government officials that they can use homeland security grant money to fund the surveys if they decide that their city or state would benefit from a survey. Furthermore, in January 2008, NNSA and DHS began a pilot project with government and law enforcement officials from Chicago to explore ways to outfit helicopters owned by state governments with radiation detection equipment. They also offered training on how to conduct aerial background radiation surveys in April and May of 2008 in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

In response to our recommendations, in May 2008, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), completed an assessment of the costs, benefits, and limitations of aerial background radiation surveys. DHS then posted this assessment on its Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN), which is a computer-based communications system that provides information to all authorized state and local government officials on counterterrorism and homeland security programs and activities. State and local government officials can obtain information about the surveys through this site. Putting this information on the HSIN increased awareness of state and local government officials that they can use homeland security grant money to fund the surveys if they decide that their city or state would benefit from a survey. Furthermore, in January 2008, NNSA and DHS began a pilot project with government and law enforcement officials from Chicago to explore ways to outfit helicopters owned by state governments with radiation detection equipment. They also offered training on how to conduct aerial background radiation surveys in April and May of 2008 in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.