Los Alamos Warns of “Dirty Bomb” Threat

A study prepared by the U.S. Energy Department’s Los Alamos National Laboratort warns that many radioactive sources still lack adequate security, making them attractive targets for terrorists seeking to develop a “dirty bomb,” the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Sept. 9).

“The world of radiological sources developed prior to recent concerns about terrorism, and many of the sources are either unsecured or provided, at best, with an industrial level of security,” the report says.

According to the report, there is a “very significant” threat that terrorists could conduct a dirty bomb attack, which combines radioactive material and conventional explosives. “There is no shortage of radioactive materials that could be used,” it says.

The report also warns that security measures currently being implemented to better protect radioactive sources “are unlikely to significantly alter the global risk picture for a few years” (John Solomon, Associated Press/Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Nov. 11).

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