Devices could disable terror bombs (even nuclear)

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Feb. 7, 2007 | Keay Davidson

[FairOpinion]

The nation's top nuclear weapons agency announced Tuesday that it's planning to field-test devices that could eventually be used by local agencies around the country to disable a terrorist "dirty bomb" or nuclear weapon in the absence of experts trained to defuse nuclear bombs.

The plan is an answer to concerns that, in the event of a terrorist plot on U.S. soil, the Nevada-based Nuclear Emergency Search Team wouldn't be able to get to the scene of an attack soon enough. The team, known as NEST, is the first line of defense against such attacks, which federal authorities say could radioactively contaminate a 30-block section of a city.

The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced that "Render Safe," devices that have been years in the making, will soon be ready for field testing and eventually could be used by FBI agents, police or firefighters or other nonnuclear authorities.

Citing security considerations, National Nuclear Security Administration officials refused to describe how the classified devices work.

California officials have quietly launched their own effort to ensure that state agencies are prepared to prevent a nuclear terrorist attack.

[FairOpinion]

Another wake up call for those who prefer to stick their heads in the sand and pretend there is no threat.

[FairOpinion]

ping -- good news -- I hope these devices work, because I think the nuclear threat is underestimated.

[FairOpinion]

ping

[FairOpinion]

"In the federal government's hypothetical dirty-bomb scenario, an attack using the radioactive cesium-137 isotope could contaminate a 30-block range, killing 180 people and causing 270 injuries just from the direct effects of the blast itself, as well as creating radioactive "hot spots" around the city, Navarro said."


I think this is an underestimation.

[farlander]

It isn't. Dirty bombs are not all that deadly. Their real 'power' comes from fear. Even though the area can be decontaminated (at considerable cost, but never the less) people would be still afraid to go into the area. It would create a mindset that the 30 blocks are unusable.

The actual deaths/injuries would be very minimal.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks, FairO.

[Cindy]

ARTICLE SNIPPET:

"Citing security considerations, National Nuclear Security Administration officials refused to describe how the classified devices work."

Well, yipeee...potentially GREAT news and apparently the enemy and the lame-stream media does not know how this works.

[familyop]

"Devices could disable terror bombs (even nuclear)"

Oh, our problems are all solved! Having the new device anywhere in our country will prevent any nuclear weapons from being detonated here! Now there's no more need for any wars, and gasonline will continue to be cheap! It's even okay to elect Democrats who pretend to be Republicans. We're saved!

[Little irony and sarcasm for you there.]

[JSteff]

"Dirty bombs are not all that deadly"

I believe the "dirty bombs" they are talking about are not real nukes, but ANY SIZE bomb laced with "radiological nuclear" materials. The example they give is based on estimates (guesses) of how much material bad guy's could pack with an explosive device and transport around with out getting stopped before they could blow it up.

So a dirty bomb could be a 1/4 stick of TNT in a box of cesium, or a tanker truck filled with ammonium nitrate and diesel fuel with boxes of spent reactor fuel or xray materials tied to the sides.

The size of the explosion would depend on the size of the explosive part of the weapon. So a "dirty nuke" could take out a closet or say a Kobar Towers (or OKC Murrah) size building. They are not talking about tactical nuke type devices that emit nuclear particles as a part of making the explosion. Just conventional explosive devices laced with "radiological nuclear" materials.

Many of our big cities have devices that are very sensitive to radiological materials. Dirty nukes (lower level radioactivity) would be easier to place than say a black market russian tactical nuke. The tactical nuke would be sensed on it's way into our bigger cities. A few boxxes of old x-ray material in a van with some TNT might get by.

That is what they are concerned with. There is so much of that stuff moving around every day it would be hard to detect before it was blown up. Which one of the dozens of trucks of old hospital x-ray material moving through our cities every day is a dirty nuke in waiting... just add an explosion?

That is why the article says "Nuclear Emergency Search Team wouldn't be able to get to the scene of an attack soon enough." Meaning not until it was detonated. Another article on FR a few months back spoke of a resin type material they were working on to spray on areas and nearby areas where the explosion occurred. This would lock the particles down so that it did not get airborne and be breathed in.

[The Duke]

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Well, then what will Jack Bauer do for a living? : )

[JimRed]

Will it work on IEDs? That would "sadden" a lot of liberals!

[JimRed]

...gasonline will continue to be cheap!

Where do you get your gas on line, cheap?

;^)

[ASOC]

"So a dirty bomb could be a 1/4 stick of TNT in a box of cesium, or a tanker truck filled with ammonium nitrate and diesel fuel with boxes of spent reactor fuel or xray materials tied to the sides."

Close, more like a nuke cask wrapped in C4 with a diesel tanker on each side. Bang, the cask is open and the thermal column from burning fuel will carry the radioactive sh!t for miles.

Lesson here? Try not to live in a city that is viewed as a target. Imagine a "Katrina" level response (in terms of competency and cost) to such an event. It would be a decade at least before the work was done.

[UpAllNight]

--Dirty nukes (lower level radioactivity) would be easier to place than say a black market russian tactical nuke. The tactical nuke would be sensed on it's way into our bigger cities.--

Dirty bombs have more radiation and would be detected easier before detonation.

--A few boxxes of old x-ray material in a van with some TNT might get by.--

I don't understand your reference to 'old x-ray material' in this context.