Current Nationwide
Threat Level
Homeland
Security
ELEVATED
Daily Open Source Infrastructure
Report for 4 August 2009
Significant Risk of Terrorist Attacks
For information, click here:
http://www.dhs.gov
Top Stories

WSAZ 3 Huntington reports that the entire town of Sandstone, West Virginia and
surrounding areas were evacuated after a tractor trailer carrying 32,000 pounds of uranium
hexafluoride caught fire after a wreck around midnight Sunday, but tests have confirmed
that there is no danger. (See item 5)

According to the Long Island Press, a Long Island woman with two guns in her car was
arrested after she was found taking pictures of the Air National Guard base in
Westhampton Beach, New York on the night of July 30. A police officer spotted her when
she returned after she had been warned not to return by guardsmen. (See item 26)
Fast Jump Menu
PRODUCTION INDUSTRIES
● Energy
● Chemical
● Nuclear Reactors, Materials and Waste
● Critical Manufacturing
● Defense Industrial Base
● Dams Sector
SERVICE INDUSTRIES
● Banking and Finance
● Transportation
● Postal and Shipping
● Information Technology
● Communications
● Commercial Facilities
SUSTENANCE AND HEALTH
● Agriculture and Food
FEDERAL AND STATE
● Government Facilities
●
Water Sector
●
Emergency Services
●
Public Health and Healthcare
●
National Monuments and Icons
Energy Sector
Current Electricity Sector Threat Alert Levels: Physical: ELEVATED,
Cyber: ELEVATED
Scale: LOW, GUARDED, ELEVATED, HIGH, SEVERE [Source: ISAC for the Electricity Sector (ES−ISAC) −
[http://www.esisac.com]
1. August 3, WBBM 780 Chicago – (Illinois) Gas tanker overturns in Niles. Police said
evacuations were planned after a tanker truck flipped and began leaking gasoline
Monday morning in north suburban Niles. The driver of the gas tanker took a turn too
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quickly, causing the tanker to overturn and begin leaking gasoline at 6:55 a.m. at the
corner of North Harlem Avenue and West Oakton Street. Police said no one was injured
as of 7:35 a.m. The scene is close to a number of houses. The tanker was full, carrying
almost 8,000 gallons of fuel in three compartments, once each for regular, midgrade and
high octane gasoline. As of 8 a.m., the rate of loss appeared to be slowing, indicating
only one of the three compartments was punctured. A hazardous materials team is at the
scene. The cleanup is likely to be an all-day affair. Emergency crews were spreading
sand, forming dikes to keep the gasoline out of the sewer system. Crews planned to
spread a foam on the spill to suppress the vapors, thereby reducing the chance of an
explosion or fire.
Source: http://www.wbbm780.com/Gas-tanker-overturns-in-Niles/4926613
2. July 30, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – (Wisconsin) We Energies, scaffolding firm face
penalties in Oak Creek blast. Federal safety regulators have cited a Waukesha
scaffolding company and We Energies after the investigation of a February explosion
that injured eight workers at the utility’s plant in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration alleged “willful and serious” safety
violations Thursday by We Energies and contractor ThyssenKrupp Safway Inc. in the
explosion, which seriously injured four workers inside a coal dust collector hopper and
caused lesser injuries to four workers outside. OSHA has proposed penalties of
$153,500 for ThyssenKrupp and $147,000 for We Energies. Seven contract workers for
ThyssenKrupp injured in the February 3 explosion and fire have sued the company. The
suit, filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, alleges that We Energies knew that a coal
dust collector where the workers were setting up scaffolding was “hazardous, dangerous
and unsafe”; that the dust was highly combustible; and that the fire suppression system
inside the silo where the explosion occurred was “non-functional.” We Energies has said
that the company had done regular inspections of the silo — one of which discovered
the need for the repairs that were being prepared for at the time of the explosion. The
explosion occurred as the scaffolding workers were preparing for another contractor to
make repairs to the fire suppression system.
Source: http://www.jsonline.com/business/52075292.html
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Chemical Industry Sector
3. August 1, Reliable Plant – (New Jersey) Lonza agrees to pay $550,000 in fines for
EPA violations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently settled a
third pesticide enforcement case against Lonza Inc., the nation’s largest manufacturer of
hospital disinfectants, for multiple violations of the federal law that regulates pesticides.
Most recently, the New Jersey-based company agreed to pay more than $550,000 in
fines for allegedly making misleading claims regarding the efficacy of two products.
The settlement is one of the largest civil penalties assessed under the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Combined with earlier settlements, the
penalties total over $640,000. Under a previous settlement, the company also developed
a ground-breaking supplemental environmental project, valued at $390,000. Before any
pesticide is sold in the U.S., it must go through EPA’s vigorous registration process.
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During this process, companies must provide health studies and environmental
information about the product to ensure that its proper use does not cause any negative
human or environmental effects. It is incumbent upon the manufacturer to ensure that a
product functions as stated on the label. If EPA decides to register the product, it grants
the manufacturer an EPA registration number, which is listed on the product. EPA also
works closely with the manufacturer on the label language to make sure that it is clear
and as specific as possible about how the product may be used. Products cited for
inefficacy in the most recent case were: Saniphor No. 450, registered as a tuberculocide,
but found ineffective against a bacterium that causes tuberculosis; and 7 Healthcare
Disinfectant Neutral Cleaner, which EPA tests determined did not kill the pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as claimed on the label. In addition, Klear Guard Tub & Tile
Foaming Germicidal Cleaner was cited as misbranded for use of a label with missing
first aid information.
Source:
http://www.reliableplant.com/article.aspx?articleid=19207&pagetitle=Lonza+agrees+to
+pay+%24550%2c000+in+fines+for+EPA+violations
4. July 31, U.S. Department of Justice – (Ohio) Two chemical companies agree to
resolve environmental violations in Ohio. The former and current owners and
operators of a chemical facility in Addyston, Ohio, LANXESS Corp. and INEOS ABS
USA Corp., have agreed to pay a $3.1 million civil penalty and INEOS will spend up to
$2 million to install environmental controls and modify operating procedures to resolve
violations of multiple environmental laws, the Justice Department and U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on July 31. The settlement resolves
a complaint filed by the United States and the state of Ohio alleging violations of the
Clean Air Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
Liability Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. Under
the agreement filed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Ohio, INEOS, the
current owner and operator of the Addyston Facility, has agreed to upgrade
environmental controls and make multiple modifications of its operating procedures.
The LDAR practices agreed to in the settlement include an innovative program to
replace valves with new “low leak” valve technology and to monitor and repair
equipment that is leaking at a lower rate than required by regulations, thereby reducing
fugitive emissions from leaks. EPA estimates that the settlement will reduce multiple
harmful emissions from the facility’s historical operations including 360 tons of
butadiene emissions per year from the flare controls, one ton of acrylonitrile emissions
per year from the biofilter project and 60 tons per year in hazardous air pollutants from
the enhanced LDAR program. Since the company was notified of its violations, they
have implemented a series of emissions reduction projects to reduce these emissions.
Source: http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/July/09-enrd-755.html
For another story, see item 22
[Return to top]
Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste Sector
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5. August 2, WSAZ 3 Huntington – (West Virginia) Drunk driver caused accident
involving radioactive cargo, police say. The entire town of Sandstone, West Virginia,
and surrounding areas were evacuated after a tractor trailer carrying radioactive material
caught fire after a wreck around midnight Sunday, but tests have confirmed that there is
no danger. The tractor trailer was carrying a corrosive material that has been determined
to be radioactive. Just before 3:30 a.m., hazmat crews reached the scene and determined
that the container holding the material was not damaged and none of the material leaked.
The crews also tested the air around the wreck and found no contamination. A 911
dispatcher says the evacuation of the town was a precaution at the time, and residents
are now allowed to return to their homes. A spokesman with the Hinton Detachment of
the West Virginia State Police tells WSAZ.com that the chemical inside the truck was
uranium hexafluoride. He says it was a large container holding 32,000 pounds of the
material. The truck was headed to Portsmouth, Virginia, for export. It was not known
from where the truck was coming.
Source: http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/52277727.html
6. August 2, Associated Press – (Illinois) Power restored at Illinois nuclear reactor.
Offsite electric power has been restored at a Will County nuclear reactor that shut down
last week. An Exelon Corp. spokesman said offsite power was restored Sunday at the
Braidwood Generating Station Unit 2 in Braceville. The station declared an “unusual
event” Thursday when the reactor shut down because a transformer caused power loss.
The “unusual event” status was canceled Sunday and work now is ongoing to get the
reactor back online. The station originally made a loud noise as it shut down because of
released steam, but there was no health or safety risk to workers or the public. Exelon
says local, state, and federal government officials were notified.
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-ilnuclearreactorshu,0,1815770.story
[Return to top]
Critical Manufacturing Sector
7. August 3, Reliable Plant – (National) American Honda expands airbag safety recall.
An existing safety recall of the driver’s airbag in certain 2001 Honda Accords and
Civics due to a potential defect in the airbag’s inflation system is being expanded to
include more vehicles, American Honda Motor Company Inc. announced on July 31.
Originally initiated in November 2008, approximately 440,000 additional vehicles are
included in the expanded recall, which will require the replacement of the driver’s
steering-wheel-mounted airbag inflator. In some vehicles, airbag inflators can produce
over-pressurization of the driver’s (front) airbag inflator mechanism during airbag
deployment. If an affected inflator deploys, the increased internal pressure may cause
the inflator casing to rupture. Metal fragments could pass through the cloth airbag
cushion material, possibly causing an injury or fatality to vehicle occupants.
Source:
http://www.reliableplant.com/article.aspx?articleid=19209&pagetitle=American+Honda
+expands+airbag+safety+recall
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8. August 2, WTVF 5 Nashville – (Tennessee) Chemical spill prompts evacuations. A
chemical spill in DeKalb County had emergency officials working hard to keep a
community safe on August 2. The exact location of the spill is the “Federal - Mogul”
Corp plant on Grizzly Lane in Smithville. “TEMA” said, just before 6:00 p.m., an
unknown vapor was in-advertently released as a pump was being changed. The fire
department came and aired-out the building. Dispatchers said several people got sick
because of all the fumes. Now, employees are telling News-Channel Five they had to reevacuate the building around nine because people started getting sick and passing out.
They say emergency crews were keeping them about 50 feet from the building.
Source: http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=10834944
9. July 31, KLEW 3 Lewiston – (Idaho) Explosion rocks downtown Lewiston. Workers
escaped injury during an explosion in downtown Lewiston on July 31. But the Lewiston
Fire Department is now shutting down a testing site for an aspiring ammunition
company. It happened at about noon near 815 D Street in a parking lot near CNC
Machine. The Lewiston Fire Inspector said employees were actually doing a safety test
on some ammunition manufacturing equipment. He says one fire test ignited a pound
and a half of gunpowder, causing the explosion. Witnesses say nobody was injured but
there was some damage to cars in the parking lot. The company will not be allowed to
test at the facility again.
Source: http://www.klewtv.com/news/local/52226927.html
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Defense Industrial Base Sector
10. July 31, Defense News – (Hawaii) Aegis BMD test successful. The Missile Defense
Agency (MDA) and the U.S. Navy carried out a successful ballistic missile defense
(BMD) test July 30 near Hawaii, shooting down a ballistic missile target and performing
several tracking and engineering tests. The firing event, dubbed Stellar Avenger,
featured the destroyer Hopper, which used its Aegis BMD version 3.6 combat system to
detect, track and engage a sub-scale, short-range ballistic missile target launched from
the Kauai Test Facility. The Hopper shot a Standard SM-3 Block IA surface-to-air
missile at the target, which was intercepted in its ascent phase about 200 miles
downrange at an altitude of about 100 miles, according to the MDA. The SM-3 was in
flight for about two minutes before it struck the target in a direct, body-to-body hit. The
O’Kane, using Aegis 3.6, carried out a simulated engagement using an SM-3 Block IB
missile, which features improvements including a two-color seeker for further
discrimination. A live-fire exercise using the Block IB is scheduled to take place next
year. Also on board the O’Kane was a prototype kill assessment system and modified
Mark 99 fire control system to collect telemetry data for improved postmission analysis,
according to Aegis BMD prime contractor Lockheed Martin. The test was the first Aegis
BMD exercise to feature two versions of the software in a single event, according to
Lockheed’s vice president for ballistic missile defense programs.
Source: http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4214894&c=AME&s=SEA
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Banking and Finance Sector
11. August 1, Bloomberg – (National) Five more U.S. banks are shut down, bringing
2009 tally to 69. Banks in New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, Oklahoma and Illinois were shut,
pushing the toll of failed U.S. lenders to 69 this year. The Federal Deposit Insurance
Corp. was named the receiver of the five banks, the regulator said on July 31 in e-mailed
statements. The seized banks, with total assets of $2.69 billion and deposits of $2.56
billion, will cost the FDIC’s insurance fund about $911.7 million. Mutual Bank of
Harvey, Illinois, was the biggest of the July 31 failures, with $1.6 billion in assets and
the same amount in deposits. Peoples Community Bank in West Chester, Ohio, was
second, with $705.8 million in assets and $598.2 million in deposits. Also shuttered
were New Jersey’s First BankAmericano, Integrity Bank in Florida and First State Bank
of Altus, Oklahoma. Regulators are closing lenders at the fastest pace in 17 years,
depleting the FDIC’s deposit insurance fund by more than $14.4 billion since January.
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a3KVKk_i5_cM
12. August 1, Associated Press – (Georgia) FDIC orders reform of 3 GA banks. Three
Georgia banks must make reforms as ordered by federal regulators. The FDIC served
‘cease and desist’ orders to the Bank of Georgia in Peachtree City, Mountain Heritage
Bank of Clayton County and Satilla Community Bank of St. Mary’s. That is the most
serious type of enforcement action aside from failure. Regulators say they believed the
banks were using “unsafe and unsound” banking practices. They have been told to
increase capital, to be more aggressive about writing off bad loans and to improve
lending practices and board oversight.
Source: http://www.gpb.org/news/2009/08/01/fdic-orders-reform-of-3-ga-banks
[Return to top]
Transportation Sector
13. August 3, Bloomberg – (Florida) Continental jet lands after turbulence injures
dozens. A Continental Airlines Inc. jetliner made an emergency landing in Miami after
turbulence injured as many as 37 people flying to Houston from Rio de Janeiro.
Fourteen passengers were taken to the hospital, four with “serious” injuries, said a
spokesman for the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department. No injuries appeared to be
life-threatening and most travelers who sought treatment were “just bumped and
bruised,” he said. The Boeing Co. 767-200 was about an hour from Miami when the
injuries forced the pilots to divert at 5:35 a.m., said a spokesman for Houston-based
Continental. Flight 128 had 168 passengers and 11 crew members. The incident
occurred in clear-air turbulence southeast of Puerto Rico at about 36,000 feet, said a
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman. There was no structural damage to the
plane or injury to the crew, he said. The seat belt sign was on at the time, the Continental
spokesman said. Continental Flight 128 left Rio de Janeiro at 9:45 p.m. on Sunday and
was scheduled to arrive at Houston at 6 a.m.
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aZUZjJ7ONbB8
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14. August 3, Associated Press – (New York) Mom: NY LaGuardia bomb scare suspect
mentally ill. The mother of the homeless man arrested on charges of causing a bomb
scare at LaGuardia Airport says her son has a psychiatric disorder. Her 32-year-old son
suffers from catatonic schizophrenia. She tells the paper she is a school psychologist.
The man is accused of carrying a phony bomb into LaGuardia on August 1. The scare
shut down the airport for several hours and prompted an evacuation. He was arrested on
charges including placing a false bomb in a transportation facility and making a terrorist
threat. He is to undergo a psychiatric evaluation before his scheduled court appearance
on August 6.
Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gR6OMl4MFN38rIWQcMeu5S
APvNqgD99RCQ6O0
15. August 3, Occupational Health and Safety – (National) OSHA inspection program
targets air traffic control towers. The safety of airport traffic control tower personnel
is the focus of an inspection targeting program titled “Federal Aviation Administration’s
Airport Traffic Control Tower Monitoring Program,” which monitors how workers clear
a control tower in case of fire and other emergencies. The inspection targeting program,
conducted by OSHA, examines FAA’s air traffic control towers’ provision of safe
means of egress, or exit, for workers at FAA-owned and -operated towers. The program
requires FAA to bring towers into compliance with the alternate standard for egress and
fire safety. OSHA inspectors will inspect randomly selected towers to determine if FAA
is meeting this requirement. Current guidance based on FAA’s alternate standard allows
for a single exit route where the building size, occupancy level, type of construction, and
workplace arrangement is such that all workers would be able to evacuate safely during
an emergency. The standard also includes requirements such as incorporating fire
detection and alarm systems, fire suppression equipment, and emergency action plans.
The standard currently covers 386 towers, of which 190 have been certified by FAA as
being in compliance. “This agency’s fundamental responsibility is to protect workers
from unsafe workplaces,” said the acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA.
“Those who work in airport traffic control towers risk their safety if exit routes are not
in place in the event of a fire. OSHA recognizes the importance of this inspection
program and is confident that monitoring compliance with this standard will result in
fewer worker injuries and deaths.”
Source: http://ohsonline.com/Articles/2009/08/03/OSHA-Targets-Air-Traffickers.aspx
16. August 1, Oregonian – (Oregon) Alabama man charged in Portland airport security
case. A three-count indictment handed up this week in Portland’s U.S. District Court
accuses a man from Alabama of falsely claiming to be an agent with the State
Department, making a false statement, and possessing a forged government ID. The
man, 51, drew suspicion at the airport on May 8 when he put an empty pistol magazine
on a table in the security line, according to a federal criminal complaint. A
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) supervisory officer identified himself and
introduced himself as a federal agent, the complaint alleges. He also noticed the man
had a pair of handcuffs. The penalty for carrying an empty firearm magazine through
TSA security runs anywhere from a warning to a $1,500 fine. But TSA’s policy is to
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waive or decline such penalties against law enforcement personnel who carry prohibited
items related to their official duties into security checkpoints, according to the criminal
complaint. A TSA official explained to the man that he could not bring the pistol clip
through security, but suggested he might turn to Port of Portland police for help. A TSA
officer operating the X-ray machine spotted a firearm magazine in the man’s bag. He
said he had forgotten that he put a second magazine in his bag and then identified
himself as a federal agent with the State Department, according to the criminal
complaint. TSA officers allowed the man to mail his pistol clip home and let him pass
into the airport’s secure area. Background checks found that the man was born in
Florida, lived in Alabama, and had a criminal record in Georgia, according to the
criminal complaint. And on August 2, the marshal got confirmation that the man’s
Department of State ID was phony as he had never worked there. The air marshal swore
out a criminal complaint seeking his arrest. U.S. Marshals took him into custody.
Source: http://blog.al.com/live/2009/08/alabama_man_charged_in_ore_air.html
17. July 31, Associated Press – (Minnesota) Minn. sues firm for $37 million in bridge
collapse. An engineering firm that studied the Interstate 35W Bridge should have found
the crucial flaw that led to the collapse of the span in downtown Minneapolis, the state
claims in a lawsuit filed just ahead of the two-year anniversary of the disaster. The
lawsuit seeks to recover the more than $37 million the state has paid to 179 survivors,
including families of the 13 people killed, when the bridge collapsed into the Mississippi
River during the evening rush on August 1, 2007. San Francisco-based URS Corp.
already faces a slew of lawsuits from victims who accuse it of negligence. But the
state’s lawsuit marks the first break between it and the consultant it relied upon for years
to study the bridge and develop a repair strategy. The lawsuit alleges URS breached its
contracts with the state and was negligent because it failed to discover the “substantially
compromised and urgent hazardous condition of the bridge,” including the fact that
some of the steel gusset plates that joined the bridge’s beams together were only a halfinch thick instead of a full inch. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded
that this error in the original design was the main reason for the collapse.
Source: http://www.modbee.com/state/story/801025.html
18. July 27, Wall Street Journal – (International) Arson investigators probe airliner fire.
Federal arson investigators have been called in to help determine the source of a fire
inside the cabin of an American Airlines jet last month en route to Zurich from New
York, according to U.S. government and industry officials. The Boeing 767 aircraft
made an emergency landing in Halifax, Nova Scotia, roughly an hour into the trip, after
flight attendants used several fire extinguishers to put out a lavatory blaze, without any
injuries. More than six weeks later, air-safety investigators and law-enforcement
officials are still trying to determine the cause. It is not clear whether foul play was
involved, and investigators are declining to comment on the specifics. But the conduct
of the investigation — particularly the emphasis on safeguarding evidence — highlights
the sensitivity of the probe and early suspicions about possible wrongdoing. The probe
is unusual and has created a stir among air-safety experts, these officials said, because
the airline initially asked U.S. law enforcement to get involved when mechanics failed to
find the source of the flames. Accident investigators from the National Transportation
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Safety Board and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
have not pinpointed the likely ignition source on the June 9 flight. After some tussles,
the safety board ended up in control of the investigation. Findings are likely to be
released in the next few weeks, though the extent of damage to portions of the lavatory
could make definitive conclusions difficult to reach. Because there were no obvious
signs of malfunctions and it was “something we had never seen before,” American
alerted law-enforcement officials. To safeguard possible evidence, the airline wanted
arson investigators with “the expertise to come in and look at it,” an airline spokesman
said July 24.
Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124864732403082173.html
For more stories, see items 1 and 26
[Return to top]
Postal and Shipping Sector
Nothing to report
[Return to top]
Agriculture and Food Sector
19. August 3, Miami Herald – (Florida) Fast-moving fungus threatens South Florida
avocado trees. A tree-killing fungus has made its way down to Homestead, Florida
from Georgia and is now threatening avocado trees countywide. According state
agriculture officials, the disease could harm South Florida’s $12.7 million avocado
industry and kill trees that have become a staple of Miami backyards. Scientists recently
discovered a case of laurel wilt disease, which is carried by the redbay ambrosia beetle,
in an avocado sample taken from a grove in Homestead. The fungus kills trees in the
laurel family — such as redbay and avocado — by infecting the sapwood, which in turn
restricts the flow of water and causes leaves to wilt. The case discovered last week
marks the first time laurel wilt has been found in an area of commercial avocado crops.
The deadly disease threatens South Florida’s lucrative avocado industry, which makes
up an estimated 6,500 acres in Miami-Dade County, according to the state’s Department
of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The agency announced July 31 that four other
samples showed signs of laurel wilt, but the presence of the disease in those samples has
not yet been confirmed. Agency officials hope to halt the spread of the disease by urging
Miami-Dade residents to not transport any avocado, sassafras, redbay, swamp bay,
pondberry, or pondspice trees unless they are purchased directly from a registered
nursery.
Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/1168805.html
20. August 1, Greenville News – (South Carolina) High carbon monoxide levels found at
Texas Roadhouse restaurant. Taylor’s firefighters determined that high carbon
monoxide levels were present when people were feeling sick and dizzy at the Texas
Roadhouse on the night of July 30 and again the next morning, according to fire
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department officials. The restaurant, which was open the night when the problem arose,
was evacuated, said the Taylors Fire chief. Firefighters detected a high level of carbon
monoxide in the building, he said. Exhaust fans were set up and cleared the building that
night. When workers came in the next morning, they called the fire department again
about 8:30, according to the Taylors Fire Battalion chief. Again, a higher-than-normal
concentration of carbon monoxide was present, he said. People were transported to a
hospital in both incidents. The morning of July 31, it was one employee who
complained of a headache. Piedmont Natural Gas determined the problem was caused
by a water heater, the fire battalion chief said. According to WHNS-TV, three workers
were taken to the hospital, and about 10 others were given oxygen at the scene on
Thursday night.
Source:
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090801/NEWS/907310336/1068/YOURUPS
TATE01/High-carbon-monoxide-levels-found-at-Texas-Roadhouse-restaurant
See also: http://www.foxcarolina.com/news/20232345/detail.html
[Return to top]
Water Sector
21. July 31, Water Technology Online – (International) 3,700 sick from contaminated
water in China. More than 3,700 people are sick in Chifeng city in China’s Inner
Mongolia region after drinking contaminated tap water the weekend of July 25-26,
according to a July 30 report from China’s official news agency, Xinhua. The report said
heavy rains caused unnamed contaminants to seep into a water supply in Chifeng city
that is delivered to 58,000 of the city’s 4.5 million residents. A local official said “an
excessively high count of bacteria, including coliforms and salmonella” were detected in
the supply, Xinhua reported. Ill residents have reported fevers, diarrhea, stomach aches,
and vomiting. By July 29, 3,719 residents had sought medication for gastrointestinal
illness and 89 were hospitalized, the Xinhua report said.
Source: http://watertechonline.com/news.asp?N_ID=72332
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Public Health and Healthcare Sector
22. August 3, Associated Press – (Utah) U.S. marshals seize skin sanitizers. Officers with
the U.S. Marshals Service have seized all skin sanitizers and skin protectants, including
ingredients and components, at Clarcon Biological Chemistry Laboratorys facility in
Roy, Utah, the Food and Drug Administration said on August 1. The FDA also warned
the public not to use any Clarcon products because they contain harmful bacteria and are
promoted as antimicrobial agents that claim to treat open wounds, damaged skin, and
protect against various infectious diseases. No cases have been reported to the FDA.
Clarcon voluntarily recalled the affected products, marketed under several different
brand names, in June after an FDA inspection that revealed high levels of potentially
disease-causing bacteria in the products. The inspection also uncovered serious
deviations from FDA regulations, including poor practices that permitted the
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contamination. The FDA’s seizure of these products, along with their ingredients,
occurred after Clarcon did not agree to promptly destroy them. The FDA said it is
protecting the public by preventing these products from entering the marketplace.
Clarcon produced and distributed over 800,000 bottles of these products in multiple
regions of the country since 2007.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32255554/ns/health-more_health_news/
23. August 2, Agence France-Presse – (International) New HIV strain leapt to humans
from gorillas: study. French virologists on Sunday said they had found a new subtype
of the AIDS virus that appears to have jumped the species barrier to humans from
gorillas. The new strain, found in a woman from Cameroon, West Africa, is part of the
HIV-1 family of microbes that account for the vast majority of cases of human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV), they said. Until now, all have been linked to the
chimpanzee. The new subtype has been called P, adding to three established HIV-1
subtypes — M, by far the most prevalent, and O and N, which are rare. The virus was
sequenced from a blood sample taken from a 62-year-old woman who moved to Paris
from Cameroon, according to a letter published by the journal Nature Medicine.
Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h9Ds5DyXcwyZXpvyE6ohI5d
hFyDQ
24. July 31, Boston Herald – (Massachusetts) Feds to re-inspect Genzyme’s Allston plant.
Federal regulators will re-inspect Genzyme Corp.’s Allston Landing, Massachusetts,
manufacturing plant because the company has not taken all corrective actions at the
facility that was shut down last month because of widespread virus contamination. The
biotech giant said it received a letter July 30 from the Food and Drug Administration
that “indicated that all promised actions had not been either fully or adequately
implemented” since a May inspection. Top-selling biotech drugs Cerezyme and
Fabrazyme are in short supply because production at the Allston plant was halted for
decontamination. The virus impaired cell growth for the drugs. The plant has resumed
manufacturing. Genzyme said the new inspection by the FDA would be scheduled “as
soon as possible.”
Source: http://news.bostonherald.com/business/general/view/20090731feds_to_reinspect_genzymes_allston_plant/srvc=home&position=recent
[Return to top]
Government Facilities Sector
25. August 2, Associated Press – (North Carolina) Security upgraded for students at NC
university. Students returning to a North Carolina university for the school year will
notice better dormitory security and access for the handicapped. The Free Press of
Kinston reports that all 15 residence halls at East Carolina University are being
upgraded with new features that include electronic locking systems and exterior
wheelchair ramps. Renovations at Scott Hall are to be completed next year, raising its
capacity to 613. That will make it the largest residence hall on campus. The director of
operations and campus affairs says students will use an electronic key to gain access.
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Source: http://www.wlos.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.nc/33be2e24www.wlos.com.shtml
26. August 1, Long Island Press – (New York) Quogue woman charged with
photographing air base. A Quogue, Long Island woman with two guns in her car was
arrested after she was found taking pictures of the Air National Guard base in
Westhampton Beach on the night of July 30, according to the Suffolk County Sheriff’s
Office. The woman, who had an XM-15 assault rifle and a shot gun along with a cache
of ammunition in her car, took photos of the perimeter of the base at Gebreski Airport
on a number of prior occasions as well, guardsman reportedly told deputy sheriffs. A
Southampton Town Police officer spotted her when she returned after she had been
warned not to return by guardsmen, sheriffs said. She was charged with criminal
trespass and was arraigned at Southampton Town Justice Court where she pleaded not
guilty and was ordered held on $50,000 bail at Suffolk jail. The Sheriff’s Office reported
the incident to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force as well as the Department of
Homeland Security, who are investigating.
Source: http://www.longislandpress.com/2009/08/01/quogue-woman-charged-withphotographing-air-base/
27. July 31, Associated Press – (Alabama) Jefferson County worker arrested for
threatening to bomb courthouse. A Jefferson County, Alabama, employee has been
charged with making a terrorist threat after he sent e-mails to co-workers and county
commissioners threatening to bomb the county courthouse. A Sheriff’s office
spokesman says the e-mails sent Thursday were traced to a 30-year-old suspect from
Homewood, who works as an information technology worker. He was released from the
Jefferson County jail early Friday morning on $50,000 bond. The spokesman said
investigators believe the suspect is on a list of workers scheduled to be laid off due to
the county’s financial crisis. He has worked for the county for about a year and a half.
Source: http://www.whnt.com/news/sns-ap-ga--shutdownworkerthreats,0,2746021.story
28. July 31, KC Chronicle – (Illinois) Bomb threat evacuates courthouse. The Kane
County, Illinios, Judicial Center was evacuated Friday afternoon after a bomb threat was
called in to the building, sheriff’s police said. An employee at the Kane County
Probation office within the judicial center received a telephone call at about 4:30 p.m.,
when the caller told the employee that there was a bomb in the building. Based on the
call, the courthouse was evacuated, but no bombs were found, police said two hours
after the incident. An official with the sheriff’s office said the call came in after the
normal business of the court was over and the majority of those who work in the
building were already gone for the day. No trials were in process at the time of the call.
Sheriff’s deputies, along with members of court security and the bomb squad, responded
to the incident but found no suspicious packages. The Sheriff’s Department will be
conducting an investigation into the threat, the official said.
Source: http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/2009/07/31/95245883/index.xml
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Emergency Services Sector
29. August 3, WTTG 5 Washington, D.C. – (Maryland) Fire inside station day after cuts.
Two firefighters returning from a call extinguished an electrical fire at the Boulevard
Heights Fire Station in Capitol Heights, Maryland shortly after 2:00 a.m. Monday
morning. The fire began on one of the engines inside of the station. Due to staff cuts, no
one was on duty at the nearby Capitol Heights Fire Station when the firefighters called
for assistance. Staff cuts went into effect Sunday leaving the station unmanned Monday
morning. Staff cuts also eliminated the job of the technician who would have preformed
regular maintenance on the engine that caught fire. The two firefighters removed
equipment from the station and were able to put out the fire before it spread. Damage
estimates have not yet been reported.
Source:
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/maryland/080309_no_injuries_after_fire_inside_sta
tion
30. August 2, Examiner – (National) Homeland Security, Defense Departments plan
domestic operations? The Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security recently
notified law enforcement agencies and associations, such as the National Association of
Chiefs of Police, about the Presidential Administration’s interest in using the military
during “emergencies.” Government officials reported that the Department of Homeland
Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator met with the
Commander of the U.S. Northern Command, to discuss “pre-disaster planning, response
and recovery in support of the federal response to the 2009 hurricane season as well as
wild fires, floods and other potential disasters.” The meeting reinforced the important
relationship between the two organizations and focused on the operational role of U.S.
Northern Command and what resources and skills they bring to any major Federal effort
related to all-hazards preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. It was also an
opportunity to meet operational leaders who would fill key positions in those support
efforts. Many law enforcement executives and organizations have gone on the record
saying they did not appreciate the prospect of federal troops usurping the authority of
local and state law enforcement agencies or the role of the National Guard unit currently
under the control of governors.
Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-2684-Law-Enforcement-Examiner~y2009m8d2Homeland-Security-Defense-Departments-plan-domestic-operations
[Return to top]
Information Technology
31. August 3, ITPro – (International) Multiple Adobe security holes closed. Adobe has
released an out-of-cycle patch for its Flash Player, AIR, Reader and Acrobat software,
closing more than 10 vulnerabilities that potentially left users open to attack. It closes a
recent vulnerability in Flash that was highlighted by Symantec and actively exploited in
the wild. It also fixes 11 other flaws, including three that fixed problems in vulnerable
Microsoft code (its Active Template Library (ATL)). All of the fixed vulnerabilities
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were critical, with most having the potential to allow an attacker to take over a user’s
system. Details of how to update the Adobe software can be found in its security
bulletin. Adobe is planning its next regular quarterly security update for Adobe Reader
and Acrobat on 13 October.
Source: http://www.itpro.co.uk/613459/multiple-adobe-security-holes-closed
32. August 2, RedOrbit – (International) Hackers reveal security vulnerability in trusted
sites. A nefarious new tactic used by hackers works similar to a telephone tap,
intercepting information between computers and the trusted Web sites they visit.
Hackers at last week’s Black Hat and DefCon security conferences revealed a
significant flaw in the way Web browsers filter untrustworthy sites and block users from
accessing them. The flaw allows cybercriminals who penetrate a network to establish a
secret eavesdropping position, enabling them to capture passwords, credit card numbers
and other private data flowing between computers on that network and the Web sites
users believe are safe. In an even more worrisome scheme, a hacker could hijack the
auto-update feature on a victim’s computer, and trick it into automatically installing
malicious code from the attacker’s Web site. In that case, the computer would simply
believe the code was a valid update coming from the software manufacturer.
Source:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1730542/hackers_reveal_security_vulnerabili
ty_in_trusted_sites/
33. August 1, The Register – (International) Surveillance camera hack swaps live feed
with spoof video. Corporate teleconferences and other sensitive video feeds traveling
over internet are a lot more vulnerable to interception thanks to the release of free
software tools that offer penetration testers and attackers a point-and-click interface. At
the Defcon hacker conference in Las Vegas, the Viper Lab researchers demonstrated
new additions to UCSniff, a package of tools for sniffing internet-based phone
conversations. The updates offer tools that streamline the process of intercepting video
feeds, even when they are embedded in voice-over-internet-protocol traffic. The
researchers showed how a companion tool called VideoJak can be used to tamper with
video surveillance feeds in museums and other high-security settings. As several
hundred conference attendees looked on, they displayed a live feed of a water bottle that
was supposed to be a stand in for a precious diamond egg. When someone tried to touch
the bottle, the video caught the action in real time. Then they fired up VideoJak. When
the bottle was touched again, the video, which presumably would be piped to a security
guard, continued to show the bottle was safe and sound. “We used UCSniff to actually
capture valid stream for 20 seconds and then we played it against the security guy
receiving the traffic,” the director of Sipera’s Viper Labs said in an interview afterward.
“So he saw the room was just sitting there unmolested while the person was actually
taking the diamond egg.” A separate demo showed a live teleconference that was being
secretly intercepted so the video feeds of both participants could be logged in real time.
Both attacks convert the intercepted feeds to a raw H.264 video file and from there to a
simple AVI file.
Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/01/video_feed_hacking/
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34. August 1, New York Times – (National) U.S. weighs risks of civilian harm in
cyberwarfare. Fears of collateral damage are at the heart of the debate as the
Presidential Administration and its Pentagon leadership struggle to develop rules and
tactics for carrying out attacks in cyberspace. While the former Administration seriously
studied computer-network attacks, the current Administration is the first to elevate
cybersecurity — both defending American computer networks and attacking those of
adversaries — to the level of a White House director, whose appointment is expected in
coming weeks. But senior White House officials remain so concerned about the risks of
unintended harm to civilians and damage to civilian infrastructure in an attack on
computer networks that they decline any official comment on the topic. And senior
Defense Department officials and military officers directly involved in planning for the
Pentagon’s new “cybercommand” acknowledge that the risk of collateral damage is one
of their chief concerns. “We are deeply concerned about the second- and third-order
effects of certain types of computer network operations, as well as about laws of war
that require attacks be proportional to the threat,” said one senior officer.
Source: http://news.cnet.com/U.S.-weighs-risks-of-civilian-harm-in-cyberwarfare/21007348_3-6249945.html
35. July 31, New York Times – (International) Apple releases a security patch for the
iPhone. An Apple fix on July 31 could keep a hacker away from a user’s iPhone. Apple
has released a software fix for a serious vulnerability in the iPhone, a day after two
prominent computer-security researchers demonstrated at a top industry conference,
Black Hat, that they could wreak havoc on the devices with a simple SMS message. The
test attack they created takes advantage of a flaw in the way the iPhone handles text
messages. During their demonstration, the researchers showed that a hacker could gain
complete control over all iPhone functions, including making calls, visiting Web sites,
accessing personal information on devices, and turning on its camera and microphone.
Crucially, attackers could also use the device to send more malicious messages,
potentially causing a “mass-gadget hijacking,” as Forbes put it on July 28. “Someone
could pretty quickly take over every iPhone in the world with this,” one of the
researchers told Forbes, the first to report the flaws. The researchers said they notified
Apple of the problem more than a month before their presentation at Black Hat. The
company had yet to release the patch, so they decided to publicize their discovery in an
effort to push Apple to act. An outcry that followed the Forbes story and the researchers’
presentation seems to have done just that. “This morning, less than 24 hours after a
demonstration of this exploit, we’ve issued a free software update that eliminates the
vulnerability from the iPhone,” Apple said in an e-mailed statement. To reassure
concerned customers, Apple also tried to correct erroneous reports that malicious
attackers had actually struck, stressing that no such episodes had occurred.
Source: http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/apple-releases-a-securitypatch-for-the-iphone/
Internet Alert Dashboard
- 15 -
To report cyber infrastructure incidents or to request information, please contact US−CERT at soc@us−cert.gov or visit their
Website: http://www.us-cert.gov.
Information on IT information sharing and analysis can be found at the IT ISAC (Information Sharing and Analysis Center)
Website: https://www.it-isac.org/.
[Return to top]
Communications Sector
Nothing to report
[Return to top]
Commercial Facilities Sector
36. August 2, CNN – (International) 1 killed, 15 hurt in Alberta stage collapse. Activities
planned for Sunday at an outdoor country music festival in Canada were called off after
one person was killed and at least 15 others were injured in the collapse of an outdoor
stage Saturday. Two people remained in critical condition Sunday, festival officials said.
The collapse took place at about 6 p.m. Saturday as severe weather moved through the
area. About 15,000 people were in the concert bowl when the front moved in, and
officials were in the process of evacuating them when the collapse occurred, said the
Camrose Police chief. Panhandle Productions Ltd., producers of the Big Valley
Jamboree in western Canada’s Alberta province, said in a statement that “Sunday’s
activities at Big Valley Jamboree 2009 will be canceled due to the collapse of the
concert bowl stage.” While police said 15 people were injured, the production company
said “as many as 75 people with various injuries were treated at medical facilities and
have been in contact with family members.” Emergency personnel worked through the
night to make sure everyone was accounted for, the statement said.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/08/02/canada.stage.collapse/
37. August 1, Associated Press – (Mississippi) 8 families displaced by meth explosion.
The assistant manager of an apartment complex in Waveland, Mississippi says residents
of eight evacuated units probably will not be able to return home before Wednesday.
The apartments were evacuated after what police say was a meth lab explosion the
evening of July 30. The assistant manager said on August 1 that he is having the
apartments tested. He says that the lab is closed over the weekend and it probably will
take 24 to 48 hours to get results. He says that if tests do not find contamination,
residents can return as soon as the results are in. If they do, he says, it could take months
to get them cleared. Waveland police have said that a man arrested on July 30 allegedly
was making crystal meth. The American Red Cross opened a shelter at Lagniappe
Presbyterian Church in Bay St. Louis.
Source: http://www.wxvt.com/Global/story.asp?S=10831679&nav=menu1344_2
38. July 31, KPIX 5 San Francisco and Bay City News – (California) Suspect ID possible
in Berkeley hazmat incident. Authorities may have the identity of an individual who
left a hazardous material on July 29 in a local REI store, according to the Berkeley Fire
Department. The Berkeley Deputy Fire chief said the person’s identity might be known
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because that individual made a purchase at the store. He also said the fire department
believes the hazardous substance, which sent five people to the hospital complaining of
respiratory problems, was some sort of pepper spray. It was released after an employee
picked a backpack up off the floor that had a bottle inside. The employee opened the
bottle, and several people immediately complained of respiratory problems and were
taken to local hospitals. Berkeley police have the name of the person who the fire
department believes left the backpack. Four of the victims were treated at Alta Bates
Summit Medical Center and released that night, according to a spokeswoman and the
fifth went to Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center. The Berkeley Fire
Department is now doing a chemical analysis of a sample to try to determine the exact
nature of the substance. “We didn’t have a container of it — just what we pulled from
the linoleum floor,” the fire chief said. “It’s also tainted by a powder that REI
management put down to try to prevent its spread.”
Source: http://cbs5.com/local/berkeley.hazmat.REI.2.1109335.html
[Return to top]
National Monuments & Icons Sector
39. August 2, Modesto Bee – (California) Forest fire grows to 4,000 acres. The Knight Fire
which started on July 26 in the Stanislaus National Forest had grown to nearly 4,000
acres as of August 1 but was at 30 percent containment, according to the California
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Web site. A U.S. Forest Service information
officer said 1,360 firefighters are working day and night on the fire, which is 10 miles
north of Twain Harte, California near Mount Knight on the Middle Fork of the
Stanislaus River. Several roads and recreational areas have been closed because of fire
operations.
Source: http://www.modbee.com/local/story/802960.html
40. July 30, Los Angeles Times – (California) California seeks sponsors for State parks.
With only 13 of 279 parks and beaches financially self-sustaining, officials are desperate
for new sources of funding to keep some of the vulnerable ones from being closed
because of budget cuts. State parks officials and nonprofit organizations scrambled on
July 29 to find funding and possibly new corporate sponsors to keep as many as 100
parks and beaches open after the governor slashed an additional $6.2 million out of the
state parks system. State officials will not finalize a list of park closures until Labor Day
and said they hope to see the parks reopened in one to two years. “We are actively
seeking anyone who can help us with these places, all of them jewels, at a time when
people need them most,” said state parks director. “The state park system “is currently
packed with the highest visitation rates ever recorded,” she said, “because with the
economy in the tank, people can’t afford to go anyplace else.” The crisis also triggered
debate over the kinds of recognition corporate sponsors could expect in return for
helping to subsidize a state park. “We’re reaching out to all possible partners cities,
counties, nonprofits, banks, corporations, newspapers, individuals, who would be
interested in helping us,” said spokesman for the state parks department. “Maybe we can
find agreements that don’t alter, commercialize or degrade our state park system.”
Source: http://www.latimes.com/la-me-state-park-cuts30-2009jul30,0,4033217.story
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[Return to top]
Dams Sector
41. August 2, Times of India – (International) Explosives seized near KRS dam. Ahead of
the Dasara festivities, Mandya police in Mandya seized a huge cache of explosives from
a house near Krishnarajasagar dam (Mandya District, Karnataka, India) on August 1.
The police are investigating how such a large quantity of ammonium nitrate, gelatin
sticks, detonators, and wire were stored in the house near the dam. Acting on a tip-off,
Mandya police raided a house at Katteri village, 3 km from the dam. They found 52
boxes of ammonium nitrate, 20 packs of gelatin sticks, 15 bundles of detonators and
three bunches of wire. However, the house owner managed to slip away. Only he can
say where the materials were bought and for what, the police said. Sources said the
accused may have procured the material for mining, which is quite common in
Pandavapura and Srirangapatna taluks. Residents of neighboring villages claim there is a
blast every night and it is heard for quite a distance. Following the raid and recovery,
police stepped up security at the dam, with an officer of DySP rank in charge. The KRS
dam has been on terrorists’ radar for the last several years.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Bangalore/Explosives-seizednear-KRS-dam-/articleshow/4846498.cms
42. July 31, Thibodaux Daily Comet – (Louisiana) Millions set aside for local levees,
navigation canals. As much as $8 million for local levees and navigation canals could
come to Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes if Congress approves a $34 billion national
energy and water bill. The Senate’s Energy and Water Development Appropriations
Bill, which passed that chamber on July 30, includes $5.8 million for the Larose to
Golden Meadow hurricane-protection project, a federal levee that’s helped protect south
Lafourche from flooding during recent storms. The money “will help improve hurricane
protection for citizens who live along Bayou Lafourche and for the fisheries, oil and gas
and other industries based in this area,” said a U.S. Senator. The Army Corps of
Engineers is studying whether it can improve the ring levee to provide a 100-year level
of hurricane protection for south Lafourche, a level that would protect it from all but the
strongest storms. That study will likely take two to three years.
Source:
http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20090731/ARTICLES/907319915/1212?Title=Milli
ons-set-aside-for-local-levees-navigation-canals
[Return to top]
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DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report Contact Information
About the reports − The DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report is a daily [Monday through
Friday] summary of open−source published information concerning significant critical infrastructure
issues. The DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report is archived for ten days on the Department of
Homeland Security Website: http://www.dhs.gov/iaipdailyreport
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or visit their Web page at www.us-cert.gov.
Department of Homeland Security Disclaimer
The DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report is a non−commercial publication intended to educate and
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copyright restrictions. DHS provides no warranty of ownership of the copyright, or accuracy with respect to the
inal sso
ource m
maaterial.
original
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