Radiation detectionU.S. deploys radiation detectors in Chinese port
As part of its ongoing efforts to secure terrorists from attacking the global shipping system via cargo container, the United States recently reached an agreement to deploy radiation scanners at the world’s largest container processing port in Shanghai
As part of its ongoing efforts to secure terrorists from attacking the global shipping system via cargo container, the United States recently reachedan agreement to deploy radiation scanners at the world’s largest container processing port in Shanghai.
According to the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai, the radiation scanners will be installed at the Yangshan port and the equipment will provide Chinese officials with a “comprehensive screening capability for one of China’s largest ports.”
The agreement comes as part of the Department of Energy’s Megaports Initiative which is aimed at installing radiation scanning technology at 100 of the world’s largest ports.
The goal of the program is to scan half of the world’s global container cargo and 80 percent of U.S. bound containers to prevent terrorists or rogue nations from smuggling nuclear materials.
U.S. officials have long struggled to get China to sign on to the port security initiative and in 2005 a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that the Energy Department had made “limited progress” on the program.
The port in Shanghai is viewed as particularly crucial as security officials fear North Korea may try to use the shipping hub to import or export nuclear materials.
