GAO Recommends Better CBP Monitoring System for Imported Radiological Material Licensing
CBP should develop a better monitoring system to ensure compliance with the agency’s license verification policy for imported radiological materials, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released Jan. 10. "Tens of thousands of shipments containing radiological material -- which terrorists could use to make a dirty bomb -- enter the U.S. each year through airports across the country," the GAO said. "The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and some states issue licenses for import and possession of the material," and CBP is responsible for verifying shipments entering the country are authorized.
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CBP uses ACE and the Automated Targeting System to automate alerts to CBP officials "when they need to take additional actions before shipments can be released," the GAO said. Among other things, the alert outlines the necessary steps for verification, it said. Unverifiable shipments are either returned to the sender or seized, it said. But, "CBP has not verified all licenses for radiological materials as required in its policy and procedures," it said. "During the 21-month period we reviewed, CBP personnel at airports across the country did not verify the legitimacy of a significant number of shipments CBP considered as containing potentially dangerous radiological material."
CBP should also "conduct a comprehensive assessment of information not included in the automated alert to determine what information is needed to identify licensable radiological material," the GAO said. The agency should also "develop a system that better identifies shipments of radiological material that pose the greatest risk and revise CBP’s policies and procedures as necessary to verify licenses for these shipments," it said. CBP concurred with all recommendations.