U.S. Response I:  NRC Issues New Nuclear Plant Security Orders

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission yesterday issued three new orders meant to improve security at the nation’s 103 nuclear power plants (see GSN, April 9).

In one order, the commission has approved changes to the design basis threat, which is the largest terrorist attack that a nuclear power plant’s security force must be able to defend against.  Details on the changes, however, will not be released to the public, according to an NRC press release.

The NRC has also ordered new measures related to nuclear plant security guards’ fitness for duty and work hours.  The new order is designed to ensure that “excessive work hours do not challenge the ability of nuclear power plant security forces to remain vigilant and effectively perform their duties in protecting the plants,” the commission said.

The commission has also ordered new requirements for improved training and qualification programs for plant security forces, which include an increase in firearm training.  Details on the increased training requirements will also not be released to the public, according to the commission.  The new plant security measures will be effective “immediately,” but will also allow for a transition period for nuclear plant operators, the commission said.

“With the completion of these complementary orders, the public should be reassured that the nation’s nuclear power plants are well-secured against potential threats,” NRC Chairman Nils Diaz said in a statement (U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission release, April 29).

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U.S. Response II:  New Intelligence Coordination Center Set to Open Tomorrow

A new U.S. intelligence center designed to improve information sharing among U.S. counterterrorism agencies is set to open tomorrow, but some experts have predicted that interagency disputes will hamper the new center’s effectiveness (see GSN, April 28).

The new center, the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC), will involve a number of U.S. agencies, including the Homeland Security Department, the CIA, the FBI and the Defense Department’s intelligence agencies, according to the Chicago Tribune.  As late as last week, however, the FBI had not named someone to lead its involvement in the new center.  In addition, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and congressional officials have said it could take at least another year before agreements are in place granting the agencies access to each other’s raw intelligence information.

“I know they’re determined to get it going in the next two to three months on a preliminary basis.  (But) it probably will not be fully functional at least for a year, is my guess," Rumsfeld said at a Pentagon forum last month.

Some congressional officials have said the delays may help the center because of the rivalries among the various agencies.

“It will have so many enemies — better that it moves slowly and surely,” an official said.  “There are enough people out there who have a vested interest in not doing it this way.  They will be waiting for missteps so they can step away,” the official added.

One former senior U.S. official doubted that the old rivalries among the various agencies could be overcome.

“The TTIC was, in a sense, imposed on everybody, so there is nobody out there who owns it right now, and that doesn’t help,” the former senior official said.  “We were persuasive in getting the president to announce it, which is putting a lot of oomph behind it.  But I think there is going to be a lot of foot-dragging,” the official added (Cam Simpson, Chicago Tribune, April 30).

Even though the new center will help improve interagency access to raw intelligence information on potential threats, that information must still be effectively analyzed, which is a difficult task, according to experts.

One concern is the time factor, according to counterterrorism officials and ex-CIA analysts.  To be effective, information on possible terrorist activities must be analyzed quickly, which could make it difficult to properly evaluate often-unreliable sources, they said.

“Intelligence is put out, and then we go and investigate or try to collect additional intelligence to say, ‘Here’s the texture of it? … Was it good intelligence?  Was it hard?’” a senior counterterrorism official said.  “We try to work as quickly as we can to add that texture, but it takes time,” the official added (Cam Simpson, Chicago Tribune II, April 30),

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U.S. Response:  Intelligence Center Could Help Intelligence Sharing

In an attempt to combat intelligence sharing gaps within U.S. security agencies, the White House will open a center this week to funnel important threat information to local law enforcement officials, the Boston Globe reported Friday (see GSN, Jan. 30).

The Bush administration plans to open the new intelligence clearinghouse at the CIA headquarters but some critics believe the CIA’s secretive methods will continue to confound cooperation with local law enforcement.

“There is still a gap between what the Department of Homeland Security needs and what CIA is obliged to give the department,” said a congressional official.

CIA officials are confident, however, that the new initiative will address information sharing problems.

The Terrorist Threat Integration Center will provide important information to “the appropriate first responders” who need it, according to John Brennan, who will run the new center (Bryan Bender, Boston Globe, April 25).

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U.S. Response:  Cities Receive Radiological Detection Equipment

The U.S. Energy Department has provided emergency management officials in Los Angeles and San Francisco with radiological detection equipment, the department announced today (see GSN, Sept. 6, 2002).

The devices were given to the Los Angles Fire Department’s Hazardous Waste Unit, the Los Angeles Port Authority and the San Francisco Health Department.  The equipment transfer was conducted through the Homeland Defense Equipment Reuse (HDER) Program, which provides surplus federal homeland security-related equipment to state and local agencies.

“We are proud to help ensure that our law enforcement and emergency personnel have the necessary equipment and training to prepare them to respond effectively and thoroughly to any emergency,” Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said.  “And, we are pleased to provide DOE resources to help ensure America’s homeland defense,” Abraham said.

Five other U.S. cities have received refurbished radiological detection devices through the HDER program, including Boston, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia and Washington (U.S. Energy Department release, April 25).

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U.S. Response:  Officials Brace for Mock Chicago Terror Attack in May

A weeklong exercise designed to ready Chicago officials in the event of a chemical, biological or nuclear attack will begin next month, the Associated Press reported.

The drill is linked to another fabricated terrorist event in Seattle that will commence May 11 (see GSN, April 22).  The Seattle exercise will lead to a mock health crisis in Chicago that will involve officials from the U.S. Homeland Security and State departments, as well as locally from surrounding counties, according to the Associated Press.

Officials are keeping the details of the drill closely to create an element of surprise, Ross Rice, spokesman for the FBI’s Chicago office, said.  “The agents that are going to be directly involved in the training exercises, such as evidence recovery people, counterterrorism, SWAT teams — they don’t know any of the particulars,” he said (Associated Press, April 24).

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