Audit refers to progress on nuclear security

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A government audit appealed by Representative John Tierney finish off that a US program to progress security at nuclear research reactors around the world has made significant improvement, but that serious security weaknesses remain that make the sites vulnerable to theft by terrorists.

The National Nuclear Security Administration, an arm of the Department of Energy, has provided resistant vaults, action sensors, security cameras, and centralized alarm locations at 18 of 22 reactors that dwelling highly enriched uranium under the $14 million project called the Global Research Reactor Security program. The outstanding four reactors are planned to be upgraded by the end of 2010.

The Government Accountability Office said in the inspection that while most advanced facilities now meet up guidelines outlined by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The program is part of a superior US effort to secure vulnerable nuclear material all over the world, including with a project to eliminate highly enriched uranium from some of the most vulnerable facilities and have it turned into a safer form of nuclear fuel. In one such type of operation earlier this year, the agency removed sufficient material from Romania to build two atomic bombs.

Tierney, Democrat of Salem, replied to the latest findings by saying that he is encouraged by the effort so far, but that “progress is not enough - we need results.’’