Department of Energy Loses Track of Radioactive Material

[babylonsister]

Department of Energy Loses Track of Radioactive Material


The Department of Energy has done a poor job of tracking nuclear materials it has loaned under licenses to contractors, educational institutions and other organizations, according to an investigation by DOE Inspector General Gregory Friedman and his staff.

In some cases, the department cannot say where where the heavily radioactive substances are, how they're being used or whether they have been disposed of, the auditors found.

At issue is the tracking system used by DOE known as the Nuclear Materials Management and Safeguards System. Based on the new report, the tracking system appears to be a health -- and could it be, national security? -- nightmare.

It could be that the missing nuclear materials -- including depleted and normal uranium --has been disposed of and that the particularities of accounting for the stuff were ignored.

Or not. No one seems to know for sure, according to the report.

more...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/government-inc/2009/02/department_of.html?wprss=government-inc

[babylonsister]

1. am kick, just because. nt