U.S. Response:  Power Blackout Did Not Result in System-Wide Security Increase at Nuclear Plants

By Mike Nartker
Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON — While some of the nine U.S. nuclear power plants affected by yesterday’s massive power failure in the northeastern United States heightened security, there was no systemwide security increase, officials and plant operators told Global Security Newswire today (see GSN, Aug. 12).

Yesterday, nine nuclear plants in Michigan, New York and Ohio shut down because of power grid instabilities, which were not believed to be terrorism-related, according to reports.  All nine plants are in “safe condition” and were using backup diesel generators where appropriate, according to a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission press statement released yesterday.  The NRC said today that eight of the plants had declared an “unusual event,” which is the lowest of four emergency levels. 

An NRC spokesman told GSN today that the unusual events were declared solely because of the blackout and that no “unusual” security measures had been implemented during the blackout.  

Some of the affected plants, however, did heighten security.  Mark Durbin, a spokesman for First Energy, which operates the Perry nuclear power plant in Northeastern Ohio, said emergency teams were activated and would remain in place until the cause of the blackout was determined.  Durban refused to provide further details as to specific security measures the plant had implemented.

The blackout gave the Perry plant a good opportunity to test security procedures, including an opportunity to determine if appropriate measures were in place and if they would work as had been expected, Durbin said.  “That’s a ‘yes’ on both of those counts,” he said.

Steven Stamm, a nuclear industry official, said a power blackout, even one caused by a terrorist attack on the power grid, would have little safety impact on a nuclear plant.

“Taking out the grid is not the way to get to nuclear plants,” Stamm said.

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U.S. Response:  States, Localities Need More Information, Senate Democratic Staff Members Say

By Mike Nartker
Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration needs to do more to provide state and local officials with homeland security-related information to better prevent future terrorist attacks, according to a report released yesterday by Democrats on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee (see GSN, Aug. 13).

According to the report, state and local officials have complained of difficulties in exchanging homeland security information with the federal government, including information on possible terrorists and possible threats, the report says.  Officials have also complained of the cumbersome process they have to undergo to be able to receive classified information, it says.

“Many state and local officials — who also all too often lack the funding, training and technology to counter terrorism — are left, if not entirely blind, straining to see the terrorist threat and how to best respond to it,” the report says.

In interviews with committee Democratic staff, state and local officials said they needed “reliable and timely” homeland security information, but currently there is no effective mechanism for providing information to, or receiving information from, Washington, according to the report.  It calls for the creation of national and regional task forces over the next year to improve information-sharing among U.S., state and local officials.  The report also recommends the creation of 24-hour operations centers in each state to help improve information-sharing between local law enforcement officers and U.S. agencies. 

The report calls for improving mechanisms to relay information on possible terrorist threats and suspected terrorist operatives.  Currently, there is no unified national terrorist “watch list.”  USA Today reported earlier this week that while Homeland Security is working to assemble a list from those used by various agencies, the process has been hindered by technical delays (see GSN, Aug. 11).

“The administration is getting closer to the end of its planning process,” Homeland Security spokesman Gordon Johndroe was quoted by USA Today.  “But this is a very complicated issue, and we’re not going to rush something out that isn’t completely effective,” he said.

In a letter sent last week to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) criticized Homeland Security’s delay in creating a unified watch list.

“This problem needs to be fixed,” wrote Lieberman, the top Democrat on the Governmental Affairs Committee.  “Potentially fatal gaps in our watch-list system should be closed.  It is important to have a consolidated national watch list operating around the clock to alert us to terrorists attempting to enter our country,” he said.

The report recommends that the president immediately issue an executive order to consolidate the various watch lists.  In addition, the Homeland Security Department should provide state and local law enforcement officials with the ability check names against a unified list by the end of the year, the report says.

The report also raises concerns with the Homeland Security Threat Advisory System — the color-coded system used by Homeland Security to indicate various levels of potential terrorist activity risks.  In a separate report issued last week, the Congressional Research Service warned that the system is too vague, and as a result, might be disregarded by the public.  The Governmental Affairs Committee Democratic report calls for revising the system to provide specific information about terrorist threats and detailed information on appropriate protective measures.

In addition to improved information-sharing, the Bush administration needs to do more to improve state and local officials’ access to classified homeland security-related intelligence, the report says.  It calls for an increase in resources to expedite security clearances for designated state and local officials.  The report also recommends examining the feasibility of having agencies proactively recognize security clearances already issued for state and local officials, unless there are compelling reasons not to do so.  A task force should be created to review security clearance procedures with a six-month deadline to propose improvements, the report says.

In a press statement released yesterday, Lieberman urged the White House to do more to improve information-sharing.

“If we are to successfully protect our citizens against future terrorist attacks, there must be genuine collaboration between federal, state and local officials," Lieberman said.  “This is not an easy task, but so far, I haven’t seen the kind of leadership from the administration that is necessary to break down barriers, cut through deeply ingrained cultures and build the partnerships that are absolutely critical to homeland security,” he said.

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U.S. Response I:  Threat Alert Level System Is Too Vague, Congressional Researchers Say

By Mike Nartker
Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON — The color-coded system used by the U.S. Homeland Security Department to warn of potential terrorist attacks suffers from being too vague and from failing to provide specific information on appropriate protective measures, according to a Congressional Research Service report released last week (see GSN, July 2).

The Homeland Security Advisory System, established last year, uses five color levels to indicate various potential threats — green, representing a “low” risk of attack; blue, representing a “guarded” risk; yellow, representing an “elevated” risk; orange, representing a “high” risk; and red, representing a “severe” risk.  Homeland Security uses information provided by various U.S. agencies, including the CIA, FBI, the National Security Agency and the Defense Department, to set the alert level.

Since the advisory system was launched, the level has been raised from yellow to orange four times, according to the report prepared by Congress’ public policy research service.  Currently, the terrorism threat alert level stands at yellow.

In its report, CRS warned that the advisory system is too vague on the nature of the potential terrorist threat, leading to concerns that the public may begin to disregard it.  Each time the alert level was elevated, officials cited intelligence information as the cause, but offered no specifics, the report says.  In addition, no specific governmental facilities, regions, states or private companies were identified as being at special risk, it says.

CRS has suggested to Congress that it instruct the Homeland Security Department to use the advisory system to provide specific warnings to targeted locations or entities to the extent possible, according to the report.  Homeland Security could also issue general warnings, without using the advisory system, to notify state and local governments and the public, the report says.

For each of the five alert levels, the advisory system provides a set of appropriate protective measures, but these are only identified for U.S. agencies, according to the report.  The system does not recommend protective measures for states, cities or the general public, it says.  The report suggests that Congress should do more to establish protective measures for states, localities and the general public, even through legislation, if necessary.  It warns, however, that a list of general measures may be less effective than those developed by state and local governments themselves.

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) criticized the advisory system Monday, warning that he might introduce legislation to change the system if the Homeland Security Department does not act.

“The terror alert system may be contributing to the very panic and confusion in our society that the terrorists seek to generate,” Lautenberg said in a press statement.  “What the American people want are serious protective measures, rather than window dressing,” he added.

Lautenberg is the author of an unanimously approved amendment to the fiscal 2004 Homeland Security appropriations bill that would require Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to provide Congress with a list of reforms for the advisory system by late October.

A Homeland Security spokesman said yesterday that the department is “well aware” that the advisory system needs revision.

“We are well aware that it is a brand new program that will need to continually be refined,” Homeland Security spokesman Gordon Johndroe was quoted by the Washington Post as saying.  “Communicating threat information even to security personnel is a new and developing field for this country,” he said.

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U.S. Response II:  Washington Will Position Radiation Equipment in Europe

U.S. and Dutch officials have reached an agreement to position radiation detection equipment at Rotterdam, the busiest port in Europe, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Aug. 6).

The U.S. Energy Department is set to provide the training and equipment, which could arrive in the next few months.  Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham is expected to visit Rotterdam today to announce the agreement with Dutch officials.

“Terrorist groups and rogue nations trying to smuggle components for nuclear weapons is a serious threat that must be addressed,” Abraham said (Josef Hebert, Associated Press/Atlanta Journal Constitution, Aug. 13).

Dutch State Secretary for Finance Joop Wijn thanked Washington for the equipment.

“Nuclear terrorism is one of the worst crimes you can imagine.  The Dutch and the U.S. governments share the same goal in combating and preventing it. … We want to make the port of Rotterdam as secure as possible.  Therefore we are glad with the technical support from the U.S.,” he said (Dutch Embassy release, Aug. 13).

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U.S. Response I:  Nuclear Plant Successfully Defeats Mock Attack

Private guards at a New York state nuclear power plant successfully repelled a mock terrorist attack during a recent exercise, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Nils Diaz said in a letter released yesterday (see GSN, June 11).

The letter, sent to New York Governor George Pataki, Senators Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and other officials, said the Indian Point nuclear plant had a “strong defense strategy and capability” and that the private guard force had “successfully protected the plant from repeated mock-adversary attacks.”

Some environmental activists, however, have criticized the exercise, according to the New York Times.  Alex Matthiessen, director of the environmental group Riverkeeper, said the exercise was unrealistic because the guards knew about it months in advance and that it did not represent a suicide-type attack.

“When the NRC conducts a drill that tests post-9/11 terrorist scenarios and when they allow truly independent observers and experts to observe the drill, only then will I begin to believe that Indian Point’s security is robust or adequate,” Matthiessen said (Lydia Polgreen, New York Times, Aug. 12)

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U.S. Response II:  Washington HazMat Personnel Fail Competency Test

In a recent written exam, nearly every member of a group of specially trained Washington emergency responders failed to demonstrate adequate knowledge of how to deal with various types of emergencies, including biological and chemical attacks, city officials said yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 6).

Twelve of the 14 hazardous-materials response personnel who took the test failed to score at least the 70 percent needed to pass, according to the Washington Times.  One team member did not show up to take the test.

“It’s bad, but it’s not the end of the world,” said Assistant Chief of Operations James Martin.

Those who failed the test would be transferred out of the special unit and new members would be drawn from the Washington fire department, Martin said.  He added that those who failed the exam could reapply to join the team, but would have to take the test again.

A December 2001 report commissioned by Mayor Anthony Williams found that Washington’s hazardous-materials team had deficiencies in all 10 criteria examined, including training and competency, according to the Times.  The study, which was conducted during the 2001 anthrax attacks, noted that some team members had expressed concerns about their own safety and that the team as a whole needed “improvement” or “significant improvement” in all areas examined (Matthew Cella, Washington Times, Aug. 12).

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U.S. Response:  Agencies Have Not Yet Created United Terrorist “Watch List”

U.S. agencies have yet to create a unified terrorist “watch list” out of the dozen separate lists currently in use, USA Today reported today (see GSN, July 24).

The Homeland Security Department has said it is working to combine various lists of potential terrorists currently maintained by at least nine separate agencies, but there is no timetable set for creating a final list.  Officials said there have been technical delays involving computers and databases not designed to share information.

“The administration is getting closer to the end of its planning process,” said Homeland Security spokesman Gordon Johndroe.  “But this is a very complicated issue, and we’re not going to rush something out that isn’t completely effective,” he said.

Some experts, however, have criticized the delay.

If U.S. agencies had been sharing information, “then 9/11 might not have happened,” Ivo Daalder of the Brookings Institution said.  “I find it criminal that it hasn’t happened yet,” he said (Mimi Hall, USA Today, Aug. 11).

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