A federal agency is lauding Hawaii officials for improving security to prevent radiological material from being lost or stolen.

The National Nuclear Security Administration said today that state and Honolulu county officials have completed voluntary security enhancements on all “high priority radiological materials.” The agency did not give details on the radiological material but said the improvements were completed before November’s Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting.

Hawaii began working with the NNSA in April 2007, becoming the first state to volunteer for the agency’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative. State and city officials completed radiological material security enhancements on high priority civilian radiological materials, NNSA officials said. Hawaii officials also participated in the Alarm Response Training in Oak Ridge, Tenn., that enabled the integration of response by state and county officials, they said.

NNSA provided radiological security alarm response training to state and Honolulu first responders, as well as to officials at facilities that were upgraded.

“The completion of the security enhancements coincides with the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Summit that will be held in Hawaii in November 2011,” said Melvin Kaku, city Director of the Department of Emergency Management. “President Obama and leaders and representatives from 20 other countries will participate in this event. It was important to have the radiological sources in Hawaii secured under tight enhancement measures.”