[ RadSafe ] Dirty Bomb Material Crosses Border

[Rogers Brent]

I've yet to read any reports on this issue, but I did see the GAO official
that was addressing the Senate committee doing just that on The NewsHour
(PBS-TV).  He claimed that they downloaded a sample license from the NRC
website, then used software that is commercially available on the internet
to create their own counterfeit NRC license.  Apparently, according to The
NewsHour talking head, the NRC has removed sample licenses from their
website.  I haven't personally verified that.

They then supplied the counterfeit license documents to suppliers in Canada
& Mexico, and the items were shipped.  I never heard him say what the
isotope(s) or activities of the items were, but The NewsHour only supplied
truncations of the testimony.    

Brent Rogers
Manager Radiation Operations Unit
NSW Environment Protection Authority
Department of Environment and Conservation
*+61 2 9995 5986
*+61 2 9995 6603
* PO Box A290 Sydney South 1232



-----Original Message-----
From: BLHamrick at aol.com [mailto:BLHamrick at aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, 30 March 2006 11:11 AM
To: Jim_Hardeman at dnr.state.ga.us; Cehn at aol.com; radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Dirty Bomb Material Crosses Border


 
 
I took that to mean they were "exempt" from licensing, because, in fact  
suppliers are required to verify the authorization for the type, form and
amount  
when transferring specifically licensed material.  Although, now that you  
bring it up, Generally-Licensed materials may be transferred in much greater

quantities, and the license is in the regulations, not a document produced  
specifically for the recipient, and even for specifically licensed items one
is  
not required to get a copy of the license, but can accept a statement from
the  
licensee in conformance with 10 CFR 30.41.
 
Barbara

 
In a message dated 3/28/2006 9:28:16 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
Jim_Hardeman at dnr.state.ga.us writes:

GAO  never used the word "exempt" in either their report or their testimony 
before  Congress ... what they said was ...

"As part of our investigation, we  purchased a small quantity of the 
radioactive sources from a commercial source  by posing as an employee of a
fictitious 
company. This was to demonstrate that  anyone can purchase small quantities 
of radioactive sources for stockpiling  because suppliers are not required
to 
exercise any due diligence in  determining whether the buyer has a
legitimate 
use for the radioactive sources  and suppliers are not required to ask the 
buyer to produce a Nuclear  Regulatory Commission (NRC) document when making

purchases in small  quantities."


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