During a recent workshop on ways to mitigate risk from dirty bombs, California Gov. Jerry Brown, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn (D-GA) cautioned more than 60 attendees to increase efforts to lock down, and if possible, completely eliminate radiological materials that could be stolen and used to create a dangerous explosive, also known as “dirty bombs.”
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)-led workshop hosted participants ranging from radiation safety officers, law enforcement personnel, emergency response professionals, and various regulators.
California is home to a large number of high-activity radiological sources, such as cesium-137, which is frequently used in hospitals and is often a target for theft. Each speaker highlighted actions to help better secure the dangerous materials with a goal of replacing them entirely with safe technologies.
“I know radiological materials are critical for medical treatment, and in some cases, there are no available replacements,” Feinstein said. “But where there are available alternatives, I hope you all gathered can reduce our state’s reliance on radiological materials wherever we possibly can.”
Nunn, who serves as NTI Co-Chairman and CEO, stated that all stakeholders be vigilant and do more to reduce the dirty bomb threat because “nation-states no longer have a monopoly over weapons of mass destruction and disruption.”