DHS Inspector General Voices Concerns with CBP Nuclear Detection Program

Better centralization and coordination between CBP and and the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) is needed to manage radiation screening for all containerized cargo, said the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in a new report. Highlights are available (here).

According to the report, DNDO said there are currently 444 radiation portal monitors operating at seaports that are meeting the requirement to screen all containerized cargo at the 22 seaports with the most container volume. Although all cargo is being screened, the OIG identified some radiation portal monitors utilized infrequently or not utilized at all. DNDO and CBP don't fully coordinate or centrally manage the radiation portal monitor program to ensure effective and efficient operations, the report said. For instance, CBP doesn't always monitor and promptly evaluate changes in the screening environment at seaports to relocate radiation portal monitors as necessary.

Also, DNDO and CBP don't accurately track and monitor their inventory of radiation portal monitors. CBP and DNDO should better coordinate to fully utilize, promptly relocate, and properly maintain inventory to best use resources and to continue screening of all containerized cargo entering the U.S. seaports, considering the monitors’ limited life and the lack of funding for new monitors, the report said.

The OIG recommended that DNDO and CBP:

• Identify a single program office responsible for fully coordinating and centrally managing the radiation portal monitor program to ensure effective and efficient operations and future planning. In the office, designate responsible officials to ensure overall program performance, accountability, coordination, and inventory control for the relocation and utilization of the equipment.
• Establish guidelines to track and report the utilization of radiation portal monitors at every seaport. The guidelines should allow for some exceptions based on unique environmental conditions, yet ensure minimally used equipment is reported and relocated promptly for more efficient utilization.
• Develop and document a formal collaborative process to ensure that radiation portal monitor relocation is effectively planned and implemented to meet security needs at seaports. The process should ensure that, in making these decisions, all relevant data is reported and analyzed.

CBP and DNDO concurred with the OIG's recommendations and plans to implement all three.