IISE 2018 conference & expo surveying the vulnerability of the maritime cargo pathway to nuclear smuggling

In terms of both geographic range of impact and severity of impact, one of the greatest threats to United States security is radiological or nuclear attacks. About 95% of cargo entering the United States enters through containerized maritime cargo pathways. While various legislation has passed on the issue of improving security for these vital pathways, such as the SAFE Port Act of 2006 and the Trade Act of 2002, the regulations entailed in these laws have not been completely successful in eliminating the potential for smuggled nuclear material. This paper presents current practices and legislation aimed at the reduction of smuggled nuclear material entering the country and examines some tradeoffs of such practices and programs. Based on publicly available data, this paper presents the main phases of smuggling pathways, based on the vulnerability in the maritime containerized cargo systems and the accessibility of nuclear materials. Through a comprehensive analysis of historical orphan source incident data and current practices, points of vulnerability in the containerized shipping pathway can be identified.