RADIOLOGICAL THREAT REDUCTION AND COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR SECURITY AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES, ATHENS 2004

In light of the exceptional circumstances arising from hosting the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and from recent major security concerns internationally, there was a clear need for a nuclear security program in Greece to prevent, detect and respond to the threat of nuclear terrorism. As a result, cooperation between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the US Department of Energy and Greek authorities started for the implementation of a comprehensive program adopting a multi-area coverage approach to nuclear security. Under the US-DOE Radiological Threat Reduction (RTR) program and in collaboration with the Sandia National Laboratories, the physical protection of radiological materials in Greece was enhanced. In particular, the physical protection systems of radiological installations in 22 hospital clinics and in a major industrial facility were strengthened. Also, under the US-DOE International Safeguards Program, the physical protection system of the Greek Research Reactor (GRR-1) has been upgraded beyond INFCIRC/225 requirements, and under the USDOE SLD program, state-of-the-art technology was applied at borders to detect illicit trafficking of radioactive materials. Furthermore, detection instrumentation, procedures and training were put in place to cover the nuclear security of Olympic venues, and the Greek Atomic Energy Commission’s (GAEC) emergency preparedness and response to radiation incidents were upgraded. Finally, reliable illicit trafficking information and assessment was provided by the IAEA to the Greek authorities. This information was proved to be a critical element in the evaluation of the overall terrorist threat to the Olympic Games, particularly in conditions characterized by limited time available for decision-making. The comprehensive conclusions, drawn from the successful implementation of security measures at the Olympic Games Athens 2004, are now available for assisting other countries in their efforts to secure major public events in the future.