Report: 'Dirty bomb' materials unprotected

• Tweet

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Many U.S. hospitals don't have safeguards to secure radioactive materials from theft for use in a so-called dirty bomb, a draft government report reveals.

The draft analysis by the Government Accountability Office shows nearly four of five high-risk hospitals nationwide fall short when it comes to protecting against the theft of radioactive materials that could be used by terrorists to manufacture rudimentary nuclear devices, The Washington Post reported Monday.

"Medical facilities currently are not required to take any specific actions to make sure these materials are safe, and many have very sloppy practices, which is remarkable nearly 11 years after 9/11," the copy of the draft report obtained by the Post said, referring to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States.

The GAO report said the National Nuclear Security Administration had completed security upgrades at only 321 of 1,503 medical facilities that store large amounts of radiological material. The task won't be finished until 2025, the report said.

"Unsecured radiological materials at hospitals across the country could be used by terrorists to build a dirty bomb that would have devastating social and economic consequences," Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, told the Post.

"We must strengthen domestic radiological security requirements and accelerate efforts to secure all medical facilities with radiological materials."