Watchdog: TSA wastes money storing old equipment

• Old full-body scanners that used X-rays among old equipment stored
• Some old explosive-detection machines to be destroyed%2C TSA says
• Some 3%2C800 items have sat in leased warehouses for at least two years%2C report says

WASHINGTON -- The Transportation Security Administration could save $800,000 a year by reducing storage of unusable or obsolete equipment in Texas warehouses, a government watchdog said Tuesday.

The TSA was storing 17,000 items worth $185 million at three warehouses visited by the inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security in May 2012. The equipment included X-ray units, metal detectors and machines that detect explosives.

The agency, which is responsible for security screening of air travelers, has purchased millions of dollars in equipment over the years, some of which has been pulled out of airports.

Notably among the equipment: full-body scanning machines that use X-rays to detect objects passengers may carry. They're being taken out because they were deemed too intrusive because they provided nude-like images of passengers.

But more than 3,800 items – including 360 headed for disposal – sat in warehouses at least two years. Eight of the explosives-detection machines worth a combined $3.7 million, which the agency stopped using in November 2012, became obsolete while sitting in the warehouse, according to the 24-page report from Anne Richards, assistant inspector general for audits.

"Specifically, TSA stored unusable or obsolete equipment, maintained inappropriate safety stock levels and did not develop and inventory management process that systematically deploys equipment," the report said.

The report featured pictures of empty warehouse space and said reducing leases could save $800,000 a year.

TSA issued a statement Tuesday that said it must deploy and operate state-of-the-art technology at 450 airports nationwide. In recent years, the agency said it reduced the annual cost for warehouse leases by working with owners and contracting with a veteran-owned business.

TSA is working to address the inspector general's recommendations and has begun developing an inventory-management policy, the agency said.

In a written response to the report, the TSA said it no longer uses one of three warehouses cited in the report. While acknowledging that warehouse requirements fluctuate, the agency began asking manufacturers in February to ship equipment directly to airports to reduce the need for storage.

"TSA understands the need to reassess warehouse space requirements and will do so on an annual basis," John Halinski, deputy administrator of TSA wrote in reply to the report.

Halinski noted that TSA must keep some obsolete equipment on hand to replace units in service until replacement machines are bought. He said the agency is coordinating the disposal of the obsolete explosives-detection machines mentioned in the report.

The warehouses known collectively as the TSA Logistics Center have been a flashpoint with Congress because controversial equipment such as full-body scanners has been stockpiled there. Many lawmakers criticize the agency for wasting money on unusable equipment and then paying to store it.

"Every dollar wasted is a dollar that is not spent on protecting this nation and fixing known security violations," said Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee.

That committee has scheduled a hearing Wednesday on TSA's procurement policies.