Due to the increasing use of radioactive sources within the United States along with the lack of a comprehensive database and tracking system, it has become relatively easy to obtain sealed sources. The sources could be utilized individually or in aggregate in a radiological dispersion device (RDD or dirty bomb) or in a radiation exposure device (RED).
The DSWG is a project of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Forum (LLW Forum) – an independent, non-profit organization that was established to facilitate state and compact implementation of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1980 and its 1985 Amendments and to promote the objectives of low-level radioactive waste regional compacts. The LLW Forum provides an opportunity for state and compact officials to share information with each other and to exchange views with officials of federal agencies and other interested stakeholders.