
By Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — The federal government will provide $18.5 million for the continuation of the country's only dirty-bomb detection system, the New York Daily News reported Wednesday.
The system, called Securing the Cities, is part of a pilot program based in Manhattan, which attempts to detect radioactive material within the city, according to a statement by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
It includes 4,500 devices designed to detect a dirty bomb (an explosive device laden with radiological material), according to the News.
While the program has been criticized by some as ineffective, it is the nation's only system for detecting a dirty bomb, which is considered one of the greatest terrorism threats facing U.S. cities.
In addition to injuries caused by the initial explosion, a dirty bomb could prevent people from reentering the area of detonation for years following the incident, according to the Washington Post.
Gillibrand said in May that she was seeking $20 million for the project in the 2011 budget.