PNNL

Abstract

In view of the terrorist threats to the United States, the country needs to consider new vectors and weapons related to nuclear and radiological threats against our homeland. The traditional threat vectors, missiles and bombers, have expanded to include threats arriving through the flow of commerce. The new commerce-related vectors include: sea cargo, truck cargo, rail cargo, and passenger transport. The types of weapons have also expanded beyond nuclear warheads to include radiation dispersal devices (RDD) or "dirty" bombs. The consequences of these nuclear and radiological threats are considered. The defense against undesirable materials entering our borders is considered. The radiation and other signatures or potential nuclear and radiological threats are examined along with potential sensors to discover undesirable items in the flow of commerce. Techniques to improve detection are considered. A strategy of primary and secondard screening is proposed to rapidly clear most cargo and carefully examine suspect cargo.