DHS Identifies Terror Sites

The DHS first compiled a list of approximately 320 “chemicals of interest”, then did a consequence analysis, how the chemicals were packaged for storage and how they were containerized for shipment. 7,000 facilities will have 90 days to conduct “site-specific” assessments of security vulnerabilities.

The DHS will send letters to the facilities notifying them that they present the highest potential consequences in the event of a successful terrorist attack. The facilities include chemical plants, hospitals, colleges and universities, oil and natural gas production and storage sites, and food and agricultural processing and distribution centers, however, the names of the sites will not be released to the public.

The DHS compiled the list after reviewing information submitted by 32,000 facilities nationwide. It considered factors such as proximity to population centers, the volatility of chemicals on site and how the chemicals are stored and handled. Experts long have worried that terrorists could attack chemical facilities near large cities, in essence turning them into large bombs.

New regulations will address a variety of factors, including fencing, background checks of employees and restrictions on who can enter plants. The agency is trying to address three threats posed by chemical facilities: the possibility of hazardous materials leaks, fires and explosions; the possibility that materials could be stolen and used elsewhere; and possibly dangerous contamination of chemicals.

Critics say DHS is relying on information provided by industry, instead of independently gathering information and does not include nuclear plants. In addition, most of the nation’s 3,000 drinking water facilities use chlorine gas, which puts “millions of people at risk,” said Rick Hind of the Greenpeace Toxics Campaign. Water Parks and large swimming pool sites also hold large quantities of chlorine and improper storage could result in fines of $25thousand a day.

Hind also faulted the agency’s four-tier system of categorizing risky plants. He said officials have admitted in the past that 3,400 plants pose a risk to 1,000 or more people, but only 100 plants would make the top tier. Hind said that all 3,400 plants belong on the top tier.