Anatomy of a Nuclear Sting

Newsweek ^ | July 23, 2007 | Jeffrey Bartholet

[Schnucki]

The GAO set out to procure enough radioactive material to build a dirty bomb. Suppliers were only too happy to help. How the agency did it.

Gregory Kutz and his colleagues wanted to order enough radioactive material to make a dirty bomb. So they set up bogus companies and applied for separate licenses from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the state of Maryland. They didn’t succeed with Maryland, but they got a license from the NRC in less than a month. Then Kutz and his associates doctored the license to increase the amount of radioactive material they could buy, and began placing orders for nuclear moisture-density machines, which contain Cesium-137 and Americium-241. Suppliers were only too happy to help. Fortunately, Kutz is head of forensic audits and special investigations for the Government Accountability Office. His operation was a sting—one of about a dozen his team runs each year, most of them successfully. (The NRC has acknowledged some shortcomings, and moved quickly to address them.) Following testimony to a Senate subcommittee, Kutz explained the way the sting worked to NEWSWEEK’s Jeffrey Bartholet.

[Schnucki]

Kutz explained the way the sting worked to NEWSWEEK’s Jeffrey Bartholet.

Hmm ...

[Valin]

Bump