Topics in this issue include the Saudi Arabia nuclear ambitions, Amtrak train cash, DTRA Chem-Bio conference, chemical agent countermeasures and more…
In This Article
Could Google IDs Help Emergency Crews Reach Disaster Areas Faster?
As early as next year, emergency crews responding to disasters such as Tuesday’s Amtrak derailment could be able to access an incident command system using only their personal Gmail passwords. Universal credentials are the future of online security, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Nextgov >>
Obama Nominates Nuclear Chief to Head Navy
U.S. President Barack Obama will nominate Adm. John Richardson, the head of the military’s nuclear-powered ship programs, to lead the Navy at a time when the sea service is struggling to find money to buy new submarines. Adm. John Richardson, a submariner, would become the first head of the Navy’s nuclear-propulsion shop to rise to chief of naval operations. Defense One >>
BAA – Advanced Systems and Concepts for Countering WMD
The U.S. Department of Defense Naval Supply Systems Command has issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to support research in countering weapons of mass destruction and weapons of mass effect (WMD/WME). Global Biodefense >>
Bomb Squads Compete at Sandia Labs’ Robot Rodeo
Bomb squads from across the country saddled up their robots have been duking it out at the ninth annual Western National Robot Rodeo and Capability Exercise at Sandia National Laboratories. The five-day event – 11-15 May — offers a challenging platform for civilian and military bomb squad teams to practice defusing dangerous situations with robots’ help. HSNW >>
Saudi Arabia Promises to Match Iran in Nuclear Capability
by leaving 5,000 centrifuges and a growing research and development program in place — the features of the proposed deal that Israel and the Arab states oppose virulently — Mr. Obama is essentially recognizing Iran’s right to continue enrichment of uranium, one of the two pathways to a nuclear weapon. Leaders of the Sunni Arab states are arguing that if Iran goes down that road, Washington cannot credibly argue they should not follow down the same one, even if their technological abilities are years behind Iran’s. NY Times >>
Hydrous Mineral Dehydration Around Heat-Generating Nuclear Waste in Salt Formations
Heat-generating nuclear waste disposal in bedded salt during the first two years after waste emplacement is explored using numerical simulations tied to experiments of hydrous mineral dehydration. Environmental Science & Technology >>
First Responders Describe the Devastation at Amtrak Crash Site
There was a body in the grass. More under the cars. The injured were scattered on the ground. The battered passenger cars of Amtrak train #188 had jumped the tracks just minutes before, and lay at odd angles in a scene emergency responders described as beyond anything they had seen before – or want to see again. Philly.com >
DTRA Chem Bio Conference Kicks Off
More than 1,200 scientists and defense officials are gathering in St. Louis this week at the 2015 Chemical and Biological Defense Science and Technology Conference. Hosted by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Chemical and Biological Department, the week-long event gathers some of the brightest minds in science from government, academia and industry, converging to share their research and find solutions for chemical and biological threats. Global Biodefense >>
Traces of Chemicals in Syria Add to Pressure on Obama to Enforce a ‘Red Line’
President Obama already faced a quandary because of recent reports that the Syrian government had bombarded areas held by insurgents with chlorine-filled barrel bombs. Chlorine was not banned under the Russian-American agreement with Syria to remove and destroy its chemical weapons, but it is barred by international convention. NY Times >>
RFI – Chemical Agent Countermeasure Support
The DoD Medical Countermeasure Systems-Chemical Defense Pharmaceuticals (MCS-CDP) Joint Product Management Office has a requirement to develop and deliver FDA licensed butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), a bioscavenger prophylactic countermeasure against organophosphate nerve agents, binding nerve agent in the bloodstream before it can exert effects in the nervous system. Global Biodefense >>
IAEA Impact: Increasing Safety in Radioactive Waste Management
Radioactive sources are widely used throughout the world in a broad range of sectors including industry, construction, medicine, agriculture and research. Taking a holistic approach to managing radioactive sources from ‘cradle to grave’ enhances safety and security, and enables countries to overcome limitations to obtain radioactive sources from suppliers. IAEA >>
12 Years Later, a Mystery of Chemical Exposure in Iraq Clears Slightly
The toxic vapors acted quickly against the Second Platoon of the 811th Ordnance Company, whose soldiers were moving abandoned barrels out of an Iraqi Republican Guard warehouse in 2003. The building, one soldier said, was littered with dead birds. NY Times >>