DHS Tells McCaul it is Backing Off Purchase of Faulty Radiation Detectors
Addresses DHS' Failure to Respond to Private Sector Technology
VIDEO:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpwyCEOvWzo
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of Homeland Security announced that it likely will not purchase more than $300 million worth of radiation detection equipment for use at US ports after a report by the Government Accountability Office exposed the equipment was unreliable. DHS' announcement came before Congressman Michael McCaul's Homeland Security Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee hearing.
"That is very concerning to me. We're talking about detecting radiation. This is nuclear threats against the United States and its homeland, dirty bombs perhaps in the homeland," Chairman McCaul (R-TX) told witnesses in response to the report criticizing DHS plans to purchase the Advanced Spectroscopic Portal machines, or ASP, while not performing operational tests.
"The bottom line: it's been a snakebit program from day one," said David Maurer, Director of GAO's Homeland Security and Justice Team. "It's also not clear whether the new technology is better than existing technology that's already deployed on the borders."
"We are pushing the envelope of physics so it hasn’t worked as well as we had hoped. But, we are buying a few of these machines to put in the field to try and understand why they don’t work and if they might be incrementally improved," responded DHS Undersecretary Dr. Tara O'Toole. Dr. O'Toole testified that in initial testing the ASP, which would allow for expedited, mass scanning of containers off-loaded from ships arriving at American ports, falsely detected high amounts of radiation up to 300 times per day at a single port. "We don’t think we’re going to procure this," Dr. O'Toole continued.
Testimony came during today's hearing examining whether the Department of Homeland Security effectively leverages existing and emerging technologies, or whether it needlessly spends taxpayers' money to reinvent the wheel.
"As an oversight committee our job is to help reduce the cost of government. With our nation’s record debt approaching $15 trillion, we need this now more than ever before," said Rep. McCaul, who has identified DHS as one area with great potential to reduce cost to taxpayers, specifically in regard to its aquistitions of technology. The GAO has identified technology and acquisition at DHS as an area of high risk, having greater vulnerability to waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement.
A March 2011 DHS Inspector General audit cited the Department wasted taxpayer dollars by failing to coordinate and consolidate purchases of metal detectors, explosive detection systems, and radiation detectors for screening people, baggage and cargo. A similar report in April 2011 revealed that commercial off-the-shelf equipment or existing contracts could have fulfilled the identified needs in 59% of DHS acquisition programs.
Additionally, Congressman McCaul examined DHS failure to respond to private technology companies that attempt to do business with DHS. In one case, Rep. McCaul wrote three letters on behalf of a Texas company, which already has contracts with the Department of Defense for use of its equipment in Afghanistan, but received no response.
"From our perspective, it appears that too frequently DHS components do not know what the larger department is doing, which leads to redundant efforts, slows the pace of technology adoption and can be wasteful of precious funding," testified James Williams of TechAmerica, which represents high tech companies. DHS testified its staff is too small to timely respond to private sector inquiries. "I find that to be inadequate," said Rep. McCaul.