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Despite being required to develop the ability to make at least 80 plutonium pits per year by 2030, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) current plans fail to follow best practices, increasing the odds of costly increases and delays, according to an investigation from the... Read More »
With a signature from President Joe Biden, the Protecting Firefighters from Adverse Substances (PFAS) Act became law this week, officially directing federal agencies to create new best practices, training, and educational programs to limit and shield firefighters from exposure to hazardous... Read More »
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials have detailed the seizure of more than 50.6 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills and over 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder this calendar year.
“In the past year, the men and women of the DEA have relentlessly worked to seize over 379... Read More »
With its passage in the House last week, the Protecting Firefighters from Adverse Substances (PFAS) Act cleared its final legislative hurdle after having passed the Senate last summer.
If President Joe Biden signs the bills as expected, it will require federal agencies to create best practices,... Read More »
International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) officials are touting a recent gathering of 220 chemical security practitioners from over 70 countries to address combating terrorism, chemical weapons, and explosives use.
INTERPOL hosted its third Global Congress on Chemical Security and... Read More »
Drawing from 81 separate grants, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announced last week that it will award $32.4 million to states, territories, and tribes for hazardous materials safety programs.
Despite a large number of... Read More »
To improve local efforts to respond to hazardous materials incidents, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) announced this week that it will award $32.4 million in grants to states, territories, and Tribes.
A total of 81 grants will be split between six different hazardous... Read More »
Responding to the ongoing American struggle with opioids in general and fentanyl in particular, United States Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) joined the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition (HC ARC) and other stakeholders in his state to address the larger issue of addiction and overdose.
Last... Read More »
A Republican group of senators recently introduced a bill requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary to complete a comprehensive southern border strategy within 12 months of enactment.
U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and James... Read More »
New legislation up for consideration in the U.S. House would revamp the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts on weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) by modernizing its Countering WMD office and formalizing and expanding its Office of Health Security.
The Health Security and Countering... Read More »
The biopharmaceutical company Soligenix, Inc. signed a worldwide exclusive license this week guaranteeing supply of its ricin antigen to SERB Pharmaceuticals, which the latter intends to use in developing a therapeutic treatment for ricin toxin poisoning.
"We are pleased to be partnering with... Read More »
At a hearing convened by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, lawmakers heard from federal officials about the risks posed by chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological weapons, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) efforts to counter them, and the creation of... Read More »
The U.S. Chemical Security Analysis Center (CSAC) opened an experimental new facility known as the Chemical Security Laboratory (CSL) this week in partnership with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC).
Located at Aberdeen Proving Ground in... Read More »
In an effort to stock up for emergencies involving nerve agents, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced last week it will work with French developer Crossject to gain ZENEO needle-free autoinjectors for the anticonvulsant midazolam.
Midazolam works to treat... Read More »
With the acceptance of a biologics license application (BLA) from Emergent BioSolutions Inc. last week, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to review the potential of AV7909, an anthrax vaccine candidate.
“Over the last 20 years, Emergent has partnered with the U.S.... Read More »
In an official visit to Washington, D.C., the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Fernando Arias, met with various U.S. officials to address current international security and prevent the re-emergence of chemical weapons.
Under... Read More »
Battelle officials have indicated the company has developed a proven solution to eliminate the source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminated drinking water.
The PFAS ANNIHILATOR, which destroys the chemicals by preventing them from entering drinking water systems, stemmed... Read More »
A positive vote of 84-14 in the Senate passed the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 through its final legislative hurdle last week, advancing it to President Joe Biden to sign.
The legislation introduced by U.S. Sens.... Read More »
An effort to net federal firefighters financial support for illnesses and diseases acquired from their duties – the Federal Firefighter Fairness Act – was advanced by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) this week.
“Every day across the country,... Read More »
Engineering, construction, and project management firm Bechtel recently detailed the elimination of the last U.S. chemical weapon containing VX nerve agent.
The action was executed at the Bechtel-led Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) near Richmond, Kentucky, marking... Read More »
Backed by the European Union, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) created and launched a new training initiative this week to raise awareness among universities, academics, and researchers about the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and global disarmament.
“We live... Read More »
Members of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Executive Council attended a meeting in The Hague last week to assess the progress of chemical weapons destruction efforts in the United States as they hone in on completion.
As a matter of demilitarization transparency,... Read More »
The Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP) team, led by engineering company Bechtel, began eradicating its final round of mustard agent weapons this week at a facility in Pueblo, Colo.
“Safe elimination of the Pueblo stockpile helps the U.S. government meet its international... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Tom Tiffany (R-WI), and Michael Guest (R-MS) recently introduced a measure they said would ensure fentanyl smuggler accountability for their role in the nation's opioid epidemic.
The Fentanyl Trafficker Elimination Act seeks to increase... Read More »
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing recently to examine the harmful impacts of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) at military sites.
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) convened the hearing after a Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended the deadline for DHS Cooling Solutions Challenge submissions to Feb. 24, 2022.
Through the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), DHS is encouraging domestic innovators to develop... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has released a new Master Question List (MQL) for Synthetic Opioids.
The MQL serves as a reference guide as a means of aiding emergency responders and the research community by providing critical and vetted... Read More »
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) reopened submissions for redeveloping therapeutics into medical countermeasures against chemical threats last week.
Of interest are therapeutics already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or those in... Read More »
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) officials are espousing the benefits of ChemLock, a newly initiated voluntary chemical security program.
The endeavor is a voluntary program providing no-cost services and tools to chemical facilities to increase awareness of the risks... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted 397-22 to approve a bipartisan bill that aims to reform how the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is administered and managed. The legislation now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
The Strengthening America’s Strategic National... Read More »
Recognizing the additional level of dangerous chemical hazards brought on by storm-damaged infrastructure could cause, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is providing a 24/7 hotline to address a variety of threats and how they could... Read More »
Nerve agent poisoning can result in a quick death, causing the central and peripheral nervous systems to shut down. For those fortunate enough to receive medical care and survive exposure, long-lasting side effects are probable, including seizures, extreme muscle spasms, and diminished mental... Read More »
Bechtel officials said the engineering, construction and project management company recently destroyed the final inventory of projectiles containing mustard agent.
The company's Kentucky team initiated the third of five chemical weapons destruction initiatives completed at the Blue Grass... Read More »
In the hunt for a solution to one of burning buildings’ most dangerous effects, chemists from the United States Department of Homeland Security’s Chemical Security Analysis Center (CSAC) have created a test that could help firefighters identify whether civilians have been exposed to toxic... Read More »
Battelle recently showcased its Resource Effective Bioidentification System (REB+) and Multi-Threat Decontamination System (MTDS) as a means of demonstrating efforts to combat Chemical/Biological (CB) threats.
The demonstration stemmed from the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) funding... Read More »
