Contact: Jeannine Guttman
(202) 224-4751
Washington, DC
April 12, 2007

Senator Collins Questions DHS's Readiness for Nuclear Scanners at All US Ports

Premature Utilization of System Could Cost Taxpayers Billions

In response to a recent comment by a Department of Homeland Security official that the Department is ready this year to deploy ASP radiation monitors at 400 ports and borders nationwide, Senator Collins has released this statement:

“I am deeply troubled by the comments of DHS officials that appear to reflect a premature conclusion that the early testing of the ASP radiation monitors shows that they are effective enough to be fully deployed, which will cost American taxpayers more than $1.1 billion. The testing and analysis are not complete, and it will not be finished until July. No decision should be made on their effectiveness until the testing and analysis are complete. I am holding Secretary Chertoff to his word in a November 27, 2006, letter to me that ‘DNDO remains committed to testing prior to all full scale acquisition decisions.’ I expect DHS to provide the full testing results to the Senate Homeland Security Committee before any decision is made to acquire and deploy these systems around the country.”

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