Environmental Measurements Laboratory
Encyclopedia
National Urban Security Technology Laboratory
National Urban Security Technology Laboratory is a United States government-owned, government-operated laboratory, part of the Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate....
, a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government-owned, government-operated laboratory. NUSTL is part of the Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Effective December 1, 2009, EML was re-designated as NUSTL to reflect the Lab’s evolved mission and functions. NUSTL is the third name in the laboratory's history, following the Health and Safety Laboratory (HASL, 1953–1977) and the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (1977–2009).
The current Laboratory Director is Adam Hutter.
As a DHS federal laboratory, NUSTL tests and evaluates technologies and systems, including those developed by DHS, other agencies, and the private sector. From its Manhattan location it uses the New York metropolitan area as an urban test bed. Additionally, NUSTL assists New York area organizations and promotes the use of homeland security technologies and standards.
The NUSTL is located at the Federal Office Building at 201 Varick Street
Varick Street
Varick Street runs north-south in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Varick Street originates in TriBeCa, at the intersection of Leonard Street and West Broadway. It runs through the western portions of TriBeCa, Hudson Square and the West Village, where it merges with Seventh Avenue South...
in SoHo, Manhattan, New York.
History
The Manhattan Project/Atomic Energy Commission (1942–1975)The Laboratory traces its roots to the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
. The lab was formed as the Medical Division of the Atomic Energy Commission
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
(AEC) in 1947. In 1949 it was renamed the Health and Safety Division, and in 1953, the Health and Safety Laboratory (HASL). Fallout
Fallout
Fallout or nuclear fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a nuclear explosion.Fallout may also refer to:*Fallout , a 1997 post-apocalyptic computer role-playing game released by Interplay Entertainment...
from nuclear weapons tests became a major concern and the lab's focus later shifted to a network of monitoring stations and measurements of radioactivity in food products.
Energy Research and Development Administration/US Department of Energy (1975–2003)
The HASL Procedures Manual became the standard for environmental radiation measurement techniques. In the 1960s, the lab began taking measurements of radon
Radon
Radon is a chemical element with symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally as the decay product of uranium or thorium. Its most stable isotope, 222Rn, has a half-life of 3.8 days...
in mines to assess the health risks of miners. In the 1970s, the lab's worldwide sampling programs were expanded to include non-nuclear pollutants. In 1975 the Health and Safety Laboratory became part of the Energy Research and Development Administration
Energy Research and Development Administration
The United States Energy Research and Development Administration was a United States government organization formed from the split of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1975...
, later absorbed by the US Department of Energy, and changed its name to the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML).
In the 1970s, the lab established the Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance
Quality assurance, or QA for short, is the systematic monitoring and evaluation of the various aspects of a project, service or facility to maximize the probability that minimum standards of quality are being attained by the production process...
Program for environmental dosimeter
Dosimeter
Dosimeters measure an individual's or an object'sexposure to something in the environment — particularly to a hazard inflicting cumulative impact over long periods of time, or over a lifetime...
s and radioanalytical measurements, continued work related to nuclear weapons tests, and studied radon in homes. After the Three-Mile Island accident and Chernobyl disaster
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...
, the lab's work allowed reconstructing the resulting contamination.
In 1997, the lab moved to the Office of Environmental Management. EML's primary focus was to support monitoring, decommissioning, decontamination, and remediation efforts. EML served as an interface on technical issues. EML itself also performed environmental measurements when independent expert assessments were needed. EML continued its worldwide monitoring network and the development of instruments.
US Department of Homeland Security (2003 to present)
In 2003, EML was absorbed into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s Science and Technology Directorate. In 2009 the Laboratory conducted a comprehensive Strategic Planning effort and the Laboratory’s name was changed to the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory
National Urban Security Technology Laboratory
National Urban Security Technology Laboratory is a United States government-owned, government-operated laboratory, part of the Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate....
(NUSTL). The lab continues to test and evaluate technologies and systems addressing homeland security threats, and helps the Tri-State homeland security community.