http://www.hlswatch.com/2007/02/06/fy08-dhs-budget-released/ News and analysis of critical issues in homeland security today. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:07:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 http://www.hlswatch.com/2007/02/06/fy08-dhs-budget-released/#comment-41827 William R. Cumming Wed, 07 Feb 2007 18:07:18 +0000 http://www.hlswatch.com/2007/02/06/fy08-dhs-budget-released/#comment-41827 Remember the effort to consolidate the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (fixed nuclear power plants but also references terrorist response) and the National Contingency Plan (NCP) (Co-chaired still by EPA and US Coast Guard) into the national response plan (NRP)? The last full field exercise of the FRERP and technical nuclear responset was Zion in 1986. The FFE was cancelled in 1993 so James Lee Witt could learn the system first. Result, even today no one knows who, what, where, when and how the Feds will show up should there be a NUDET in a major city. The State and locals still don't know their role. The radiation detection program for other than the US Armed Forces was destroyed over the objections of the National Security Council in 1995 so that State and local and first responder dosimetery is non-exitent. So as you approach detection, monitoring and response issues and efforts of the Nuclear Detection Office ask yourself why is all this still in thin air and not an existing capability. Good luck with your testimony. Remember the effort to consolidate the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (fixed nuclear power plants but also references terrorist response) and the National Contingency Plan (NCP) (Co-chaired still by EPA and US Coast Guard) into the national response plan (NRP)? The last full field exercise of the FRERP and technical nuclear responset was Zion in 1986. The FFE was cancelled in 1993 so James Lee Witt could learn the system first. Result, even today no one knows who, what, where, when and how the Feds will show up should there be a NUDET in a major city. The State and locals still don’t know their role. The radiation detection program for other than the US Armed Forces was destroyed over the objections of the National Security Council in 1995 so that State and local and first responder dosimetery is non-exitent. So as you approach detection, monitoring and response issues and efforts of the Nuclear Detection Office ask yourself why is all this still in thin air and not an existing capability. Good luck with your testimony.

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