FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, September 30, 2017 — Culmen International, LLC, an internationally recognized leader in the Nonproliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) based in Alexandria, Va., announced today that it has been awarded a $9.9M Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) under its contract with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to support the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence (NSDD) Program. The first task order was awarded at $2.9M for the first year in the four year period of performance. Culmen has been performing this work for NSDD via successive ORNL vehicles since 2008.
“Culmen International is exceptionally pleased to continue its Outside of Continental United States (OCONUS) forward-deployed support with ORNL to assist this critical NNSA NSDD mission where we engage with international partner Border Guards, Customs officials, police, and nuclear regulatory authorities in the area of radiation detection; assist with training and exercises; conduct site surveys; help with inspection trips as part of the government’s formal acceptance of the radiation detection systems at border crossings, seaports, and airports; and provide on the ground sustainability support after equipment acceptance,” said Dan Berkon, CEO of Culmen International. “This contract allows Culmen to help further NSDD’s mission throughout the world, including locations throughout the former Soviet Union, elsewhere in Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean.”
The Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence (NSDD) is an office within the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. NSDD’s mission is to strengthen the capabilities and commitment of partner countries to deter, detect, and investigate illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radiological materials. The NSDD Partnership is a network of over 100 agencies in more than 60 countries working toward the common goal of disrupting smuggling and preventing terrorist acquisition of dangerous materials. NSDD works with international partner Border Guards, Customs, Police, and nuclear regulatory authorities at international border crossings, including border checkpoints, airports and seaports, internal locations, and other controlled land and maritime borders. Disrupting the smuggling of material out of regulatory control requires a comprehensive approach that produces multilayered nuclear detection architectures and linkages between front-line officers and scientists. NSDD works with partners to establish initial capability and capacity through technical means; maintain capability through joint efforts involving management, operations, maintenance, and training; and mature capability through continued interaction and targeted assistance.