Global Security Newswire

The U.S. Homeland Security Department is seeking $1.18 billion in the next fiscal year for nuclear and biological security work involving several offices, according to an independent analysis published yesterday (see GSN, March 7).

The budget for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office would increase from $484.8 million in this fiscal year to $563.8 million in fiscal 2009, a jump of $79 million.  The office would direct $334.2 million toward continued development of the "global nuclear detection architecture" for interdiction of potential weapons material, the Partnership for Global Security said.

That would include $67.7 million for development of new Advanced Spectroscopic Portal detectors that would be used to scan cargo containers and vehicles for nuclear or radiological material (see GSN, March 5).  Another $20 million would go toward the Securing the Cities Initiative, which is presently preparing a nuclear detection system to safeguard the New York City region (see GSN, Feb. 4).

Homeland Security hopes to receive $146.9 million for laboratory projects under its Science and Technology Directorate, according to the analysis.  That would be $43.1 million more than allocated this year.  The agency would direct $16.2 million to beginning operations at the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, which would conduct research on disease agents' infectious properties, countermeasure efficacy and other areas.  Another $12.9 million would be used to prepare for construction of the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (see GSN, Dec. 19, 2007).

The Homeland Security budget would provide $111.6 million for the Biowatch program, which has deployed biological agent sensors in 30 metropolitan areas around the country (see GSN, Jan. 9).  That would be a $35.5 million increase from funding this year and would provide for deployment of 150 sensors and testing of next-generation technology.

Meanwhile, another $2.2 billion is scheduled to become available beginning in fiscal 2009 for the Project Bioshield program to develop countermeasures against WMD agents (see GSN, July 3, 2007).  The funding, the last part of $5.6 billion allocated several years ago, would be available through fiscal 2013.

Funding for Customs and Border Protection cargo screening programs would drop from $158.1 million in this fiscal year to $149.5 million in the budget year beginning Oct. 1.  The program encompasses the Container Security Initiative and Secure Freight Initiative, which deploy detection systems at foreign ports (see GSN, Oct. 17, 2007).

Homeland Security also plans to reduce funding for the Chemical and Biological Countermeasures Division of the Science and Technology Directorate from $208 million to $200.4 million (Jennifer Lacey, Partnership for Global Security, May 1).