Lawmakers seek more oversight of radiation portal monitors

Lawmakers seek more oversight of radiation portal monitors    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security should postpone a $1.2 billion acquisition of large-scale nuclear radiation monitors for ports and other facilities until questions about their reliability, performance and effectiveness have been resolved, the chairmen of the House and Senate Homeland Security committees said last week in a letter to DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff.
   The Government Accountability Office has criticized DHS for moving ahead with the acquisition even though testing has shown that the Advanced Spectroscopic Portals (ASP) frequently fail to identify the type of radioactive isotopes detected, making them no better than current technology at sorting containers with products emitting natural radiation and those that might contain a radioactive weapon or fissile material. In May, Congress requested the GAO audit the reliability of the radiation portal monitors in operational settings. DHS is conducting field tests with the next-generation machines at the Port of New York-New Jersey, Port of Los Angeles and other sites.
   Last week Chertoff said he would take the extra step of consulting outside scientists about the ASP test results before certifying the machines for procurement, suggesting he didn’t have confidence in the GAO’s findings. Congress required the secretary to certify that the new technology represents a significant increase in effectiveness over the 1,000 existing radiation portal monitors now in place at most ports of entry. Chertoff is scheduled to make a certification decision in September.
   Sen. Joseph Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Rep. Bennie Thompson, his House counterpart, urged Chertoff to take advantage of the GAO’s help in verifying the reliability, objectivity and validity of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office’s testing procedures, data, results and subsequent reports upon which certification will be based. The letter was also signed by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, and Rep. James Langevin, D-R.I.
   “We understand the technical nature of these systems and therefore applaud your decision to use an independent review team to assist you and the DHS Investment Board in your decision-making. It is our view, however, an independent evaluation by GAO will best serve the oversight responsibilities of Congress and ensure public confidence in your ultimate decision,” the senators said.
   The letter raised concerns that DHS has rushed the operational field-testing through a period of several weeks instead of months that would allow better analysis of the technology’s readiness.
   “While DNDO has succeeded in developing a Low Rate Initial Production version of crystal-based spectroscopic systems, it is presently unknown whether they can be used reliably for the new mission of screening cargo containers and trucks at domestic ports of entry, especially under extreme temperatures or operating conditions. The reliability and maintainability of either Sodium Iodide or High Purity Germanium crystals will have a direct bearing on the life-cycle costs to maintain and operate the new system,” the letter said.
   The senators said GAO could rapidly evaluate documents and other information without slowing down the timetable for certification.