Twenty years after the first radiation portal monitor was installed, PNNL continues supporting the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to detect and prevent terrorist weapons from crossing our borders.
PNNL’s expertise is the foundation for monitoring technology that identifies trace amounts of radioactive materials and determines whether they are indicative of a nuclear explosion.
Peering through the thick, green glass of a decades-old "hot cell," an expert technician manipulates robotic arms to study highly radioactive waste from Hanford, in support of ongoing cleanup.
Cleaning up Hanford is no easy task: it is one of the world's largest and most complex environmental remediation projects. The nation's top engineering firms are on the job and the Department of Energy's PNNL is helping.
PNNL takes pride in advancing scientific frontiers and developing solutions to vexing problems. In particular, we apply our technical expertise to address national needs in security, energy and the environment.