The National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of Radiological Security (ORS) has launched a new program to remove radioactive material from facilities in 100 metro areas nationwide, a news release said.
“Initiative targets 100 U.S. metro areas by replacing some high-activity #radioactive devices with alternatives and funding security enhancements," the agency said on Twitter. "It will also train facility security personnel and local #lawenforcement.”
The program, called RadSecure 100, will work with local governments, businesses, medical and educational institutions, and nonprofit partners to removing the highest-risk radioactive materials and replacing them with nonradioactive alternatives if possible, the news release said. It will focus on materials such as cesium-137, cobalt-60, americium-241 and iridium-192, the news release said.
“Radioactive materials can be used to do a lot of good: treating cancer, irradiating blood, searching for oil, and ensuring buildings are constructed safety,” Kristin Hirsch, director of ORS, said in a statement. “But if a terrorist obtained these materials, they could set off a radiological dispersal device, or ‘dirty bomb.’ In a big city, that could have devastating consequences. RadSecure100 works to eliminate that threat.”
If ORS can’t eliminate the risk, "it works to make the material more secure," the news release said. "It provides an assessment of the facility’s existing security and supports enhancements and training to address a range of threats."
