Homeland
Security
Current Nationwide
Threat Level
ELEVATED
Daily Open Source Infrastructure
Report for 23 September 2010
Significant Risk of Terrorist Attacks
For information, click here:
http://www.dhs.gov
Top Stories

According to Trend News Agency, a powerful explosion occurred September 22 in a
cemetery not far from the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia. (See item 32)

The Flint Journal reports that police said criminals made off with about $1 million in
copper from a communication tower on Branch Road near Davison Road in Flint,
Michigan. (See item 49)
Fast Jump Menu
PRODUCTION INDUSTRIES
• Energy
• Chemical
• Nuclear Reactors, Materials and Waste
• Critical Manufacturing
• Defense Industrial Base
• Dams
SUSTENANCE and HEALTH
• Agriculture and Food
• Water
• Public Health and Healthcare
SERVICE INDUSTRIES
• Banking and Finance
• Transportation
• Postal and Shipping
• Information Technology
• Communications
• Commercial Facilities
FEDERAL and STATE
• Government Facilities
• Emergency Services
• 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. September 22, WVNS 59 Lewisburg – (National) New rule helps prevent chances of
mine explosion. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) issued a new
rule requiring underground mines to spread more rock dust to reduce the chance of an
explosion. On September 21, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MHSA) released a new rule to help protect underground mine workers
from facing another tragedy like the April 9 Upper Big Branch Mine disaster where an
explosion at Massey Energy’s Montcoal, West Virginia mine killed 29 miners,
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according to a news release from a Senator from West Virginia. MSHA released an
Emergency Temporary Standard which will require underground mines to spread more
rock dust throughout the mine. Rock dust helps reduce the chance for an explosion to
occur underground, according to the news release.
Source: http://www.cbs59.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=86468
2. September 22, Associated Press – (Michigan) Mich. storms knock out power to more
than 136,000. Authorities said severe thunderstorms September 21 and 22 in Michigan
downed trees and power lines, knocking out electrical service to more than 136,000
customers. CMS Energy Corp.’s Consumers Energy subsidiary said September 22
more than 112,000 of its customers lost power because of the storms. By late morning
September 22, about 73,000 were without power, including about 31,000 in Kent
County. DTE Energy Co. said about 24,000 of its customers lost power. By midday
September 22, about 7,000 were without electricity. The Grand Rapids Press reports the
storms packed winds of up to 72 mph in the Grand Rapids area. A downed power line
was blamed for a house fire in Kent County’s Ada Township.
Source: http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/mich-storms-leave-morethan-100000-without-power/30922146a13a4d8eb0b6292aef1b42f4
3. September 22, Associated Press – (Washington) Southbound I-5 reopened at Kent
after crash, diesel spill. An overnight accident involving an overturned fuel tanker
truck on southbound I-5 at S. 272nd Street near Kent, Washington had a major impact
on the morning commute September 22. Southbound I-5 was shut down for nearly 12
hours after the double fuel tanker flipped over near State Route 516. Haz-mat crews
had to drain the overturned tanker before they flipped it upright. Crews said the task
was time consuming because the tanker was carrying about 10,000 gallons of gasoline
and 900 gallons of diesel. The crash happened around 10:15 p.m. September 21 and
involved a flatbed semi, a tow truck towing a semi tractor and a double-tanker fuel
truck. Washington State Patrol troopers are still trying to figure out what caused the
accident, but officials said the fuel tanker had overturned and the diesel portion of the
tank ruptured, releasing the fuel into the ditch next to the freeway. Crews spent the
night containing and cleaning up the spill and transporting the remaining fuel left in the
tanks. The southbound lanes were finally reopened at around 10 a.m. There were no
reports of injuries.
Source: http://www.king5.com/news/local/Two-tankers-roll-over-on-I-5-in-FederalWay-103504594.html
4. September 20, San Francisco Chronicle and Bloomberg – (New Jersey) Hess reports
hole in pipe near New Jersey refinery. Hess Corp. reported a hole in a pipe near its
Port Reading, New Jersey, refinery, according to a filing with state regulators. The hole
resulted in a spill into the Arthur Kill waterway, according to the September 18 filing
with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. “This small release was
related to dock piping at our terminal so had no impact on our units or on production,”
the company said in an e-mailed statement.
Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/09/19/bloomberg1376L91M8O6JIJUQ01-5NQ63KNTLHCJS2FOTP6GPA0IJE.DTL#ixzz10Ba2P8X0
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For more stories, see items 5 and 54
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Chemical Industry Sector
5. September 22, WTAE 4 Pittsburgh – (Pennsylvania) ‘Burp’ causes chemical leak
from railcar in Green Tree. Haz-mat crews had to be called to a neighborhood in
Green Tree, Pennsylvania, September 21 after a railroad car started leaking a
combustible chemical. Crews worked to contain the spill, which happened on
Noblestown Road near Mansfield Avenue. The railcar began leaking the chemical
isobutane around 8 p.m. Isobutane is a liquefied petroleum gas which can be
combustible when mixed with the air, emergency responders said. Emergency workers
were alerted to the problem after someone driving near the area smelled an odor and
called 911. “We believe that the railcar acted as it was supposed to act under the
conditions of possibly being overfilled. We believe the relief device opened up, the
original 911 call complaint did see more of a vapor come off the car. Essentially, the
car ‘burped’ (to) relieve the pressure,” the Allegheny County Emergency Services chief
said. The leak appears to be minor and no evacuations were issued. A hazardous
materials team and a tanker arrived at the scene to contain and offload the leak.
Channel 4 reported that the chemical had been cleaned up and crews had cleared the
scene before the morning commute, and that the isobutane is a byproduct of Marcellus
shale drilling operations. An investigation into the leak is continuing.
Source: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/25109411/detail.html
6. September 21, WXIA 11 Atlanta – (Georgia) Chemical spill cleared in Midtown. A
hazardous materials spill that shut down several busy midtown streets in Atlanta,
Georgia, has been cleared. An Atlanta police officer said a 15- to 20-gallon container of
pesticide or herbicide fell off a truck on Northside Drive and 17th Street shortly after
10 a.m. September 21. The chemical spill shut down 17th Street between Northside
Drive and Howell Mill for roughly 3 hours. Northside Drive was also closed from 14th
Street to Deering until about 1:15 p.m. There were no injuries or evacuations.
Source: http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=155022&catid=3
7. September 21, WVUE 8 New Orleans – (Louisiana) Interstate 55 reopened after
chemical leak. One lane of Interstate 55 northbound has been reopened in Amite,
Louisiana September 21, after authorities determined a chemical leaking from a truck
was not hazardous. The truck was carrying three different chemicals, two of which are
not dangerous. But one of the chemicals was hazardous, according to state police.
Authorities determined the leaking chemical was not dangerous. The left lane of the
roadway has been reopened, but crews are still working to cleanup the spilled
chemicals in the right lane. The interstate had been shut down much of the morning
after the driver of the truck noticed fluid leaking from his trailer. Troopers did not say
what chemicals the truck was carrying or if the driver was fined.
Source: http://www.fox8live.com/news/local/story/Interstate-55-reopened-afterchemical-leak/wcuNLLsBcUC_guw5SVG54w.cspx
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8. September 21, Associated Press – (Kentucky) Chemical company to pay $800K
penalty to Ky., feds. The Texas-based chemical company Westlake Vinyls will pay
$800,000 to the federal government and the state of Kentucky under an agreement to
settle accusations of environmental violations at a western Kentucky plant. Under a
consent decree submitted September 20 to a U.S. district judge, the company does not
admit any wrongdoing or liability, but the Houston-based company agrees to take
corrective actions. Federal and Kentucky officials said in court filings that the
company, which has two plants in Calvert City, Kentucky, had hundreds of violations
of laws governing clean air and water. The plants produce PVC pipe and related
products. Westlake’s vice president for administration said the alleged violations arose
from two inspections by Kentucky and federal environmental regulators. “The
settlement will result in enhanced monitoring of the plants and reduced plant
emissions,” he said. “Westlake has already implemented several of the changes
required by the settlement and has been operating for some time at reduced emission
rates.” Among the accusations, some of which are a decade old, are that Westlake
improperly disposed of hazardous waste from 1991 through 2003 by storing it above
ground without a permit, and operated its wastewater stripper improperly 179 times
since January 2000.
Source: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9ICFLC80.htm
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Nuclear Reactors, Materials and Waste Sector
Nothing to report
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Critical Manufacturing Sector
9. September 22, Reliable Plant Magazine – (Illinois) Illinois company faces $135,000
OSHA penalty for 17 alleged violations. The U.S. Department of Labor’s
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited metals recycler
Gaby Iron and Metal Company in Chicago Heights, Illinois, with 17 alleged health and
safety violations, including allowing workers to exceed allowable exposure limits to
lead, and failing to require respirators to be worn. The citations carry total penalties of
$135,850. OSHA’s inspection cited Gaby for failing to implement a respiratoryprotection program, failing to provide a written lead compliance or training plan,
failing to monitor air for lead during process or material changes, and allowing workers
to be exposed to lead in excess of allowable limits. Additionally, Gaby was cited for 12
serious citations with proposed penalties of $23,850 that include failing to: evaluate
employee exposure to arsenic or provide arsenic training; place lead-contaminated
clothing in closed containers and label those containers; provide a medical surveillance
program for lead exposure; implement a hazard communications training program.
Source: http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/26671/Illinois-OSHA-penalty-violations
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10. September 21, Baltimore Sun – (Maryland) Sparrows Point shipyard sues steel
mill. The owners of the Sparrows Point shipyard in Baltimore, Maryland have filed a
federal lawsuit accusing the present and former owners of the old Bethlehem Steel mill
on the Patapsco River peninsula of contaminating the dock and ship repair facility with
cancer-causing benzene and other hazardous chemicals. SPS Limited Partnership and
SPS 35, a limited liability corporation, are demanding cleanup and compensation for
their cleanup costs from Severstal North America, the 120-year-old steel mill’s current
owner, and from Arcelormittal USA, which owned the mill from 2005 until 2008. The
shipyard has spent more than $700,000 investigating contamination at the 145-acre site,
which it acquired in 2004 from a prior owner of the steel mill, the lawsuit said. A
system to remove benzene contamination has cost $700,000 to install, plus $20,000 a
month to operate, the suit noted. Nearby residents and environmental groups contend
that the mill’s owners have been slow to act, and they recently sued Severstal and
Arcelormittal to force more aggressive remedial action. Severstal ecently proposed
“interim” cleanup in five spots that its investigation deemed the most heavily
contaminated.
Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/green/bs-gr-sparrowspoint-shipyardlawsuit-20100921,0,6176576.story
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Defense Industrial Base Sector
11. September 21, Navy Times – (Virginia) Navy to examine crane boom’s fall on
ship. The Navy will launch an investigation into why a commercial crane boom fell
onto the aft deck of the cruiser U.S.S Monterey September 20 at Norfolk Naval Station
in Norfolk, Virginia, according to Surface Force Atlantic. The command first said high
winds apparently were the cause of the incident, which took place as the crane operator
was about to remove some watertight doors from the Norfolk-based cruiser. While an
initial assessment was performed by SurfLant, naval station officials and a team from
crane operator BAE Systems, a formal investigation will proceed. Damage assessments
to the ship’s aft Vertical Launch System (VLS), where the boom landed, and a 25 mm
gun mount are “underway and ongoing.” Initially, officials did not believe the VLS
sustained any damage. Also damaged were the stanchions and line on both sides of the
ship. As a result of the incident, officials canceled an in-port anti-terrorism force
protection exercise but said they do not expect the incident to affect the ship’s
upcoming operational schedule. U.S.S Monterey is slated to deploy next spring.
Source: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/09/navy-crane-boom-cruiser-montereynorfolk-092110w/
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Banking and Finance Sector
12. September 22, Reuters – (National) Senators to probe SEC’s Stanford
investigation. A federal watchdog’s report accusing the Securities and Exchange
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Commission (SEC) of bungling its investigation of an alleged $7 billion dollar Ponzi
scheme will be the subject of a U.S. Senate hearing September 22. The report authored
by the SEC Inspector General said the regulator had suspected as early as 1997 that the
suspect was running a Ponzi scheme, but did nothing to stop it until late 2005. The SEC
filed charges against the suspect in February 2009, accusing the Texas financier and
three of his companies of selling billions of dollars of fraudulent certificates of deposit.
But the report went largely unnoticed as it was released mid-April, on the same day the
SEC filed civil fraud charges against Goldman Sachs. “This report has not received the
attention that it deserves and it is unclear what changes have been made at the SEC as a
result,” a Senator told the SEC Chairman in a recent letter. The Senate Banking
Committee has scheduled testimony from SEC Enforcement; the director of inspections
and examinations for the agency; and the regional director of its Fort Worth, Texas,
office.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68L2CR20100922
13. September 21, Pasadena Star-News – (California) Woman attempts bank robbery,
causes bomb scare. A woman attempting to rob a bank in Monterey Park, California
caused a bomb scare that forced the evacuation of nearby businesses and streets
September 21. The woman walked into Wells Fargo Bank, 2101 S. Atlantic Blvd.,
about 3 p.m. and demanded money from the teller, saying she had a bomb in a bag,
authorities said. As the teller opened the tray to retrieve money, the woman became
spooked and ran out of the bank, said the Monterey Park police captain. She tried to get
on a northbound bus but police stopped her. “At some point prior to that she dropped
the bag,” the captain said. No money was taken during the incident. The Los Angeles
County sheriff’s bomb squad inspected the bag and the inside of the bank. They used a
robot to determine there was no bomb.
Source: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_16137712
For more stories, see items 46 and 47
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Transportation Sector
14. September 22, Associated Press – (Indiana) S. Indiana man sentenced to probation
after pleading guilty to leaving explosive on railroad. A southern Indiana man has
pleaded guilty to charges that he put a device filled with gunpowder on railroad tracks
in Jeffersonville and tried to explode it. A Clark County judge sentenced the 48-yearold to 1 year’s probation and fined him about $3,000 on the misdemeanor criminal
recklessness charge. More serious charges of bomb possession were dropped because
investigators didn’t believe the man was trying to harm anyone or damage property.
Source:
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/62341d276d294e4081ce64d7000ba4ef/IN-Railroad_Explosives/
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15. September 21, Aviation Week – (International) Lithium battery fire risk probed in
Dubai crash. Concerns over the carriage of lithium batteries on aircraft have been
renewed as suspicions grow that such batteries may have been involved in the fire on
board a UPS Boeing 747-400 freighter that crashed in Dubai September 3. Investigators
from the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and the U.S. National Transportation
Safety Board have not released information about the aircraft’s cargo or the cause of
the crash, but people familiar with the flight said the aircraft was carrying a large
quantity of consumer electronics. Many such items, including laptop computers and
cell phones, are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which have a known potential to
overheat, catch fire and burn intensely. Thick smoke from an on-board fire is known to
have filled the cockpit of the 3-year-old UPS aircraft, eventually making it impossible
for the pilots to see the flight instruments. In an attempt to return to Dubai, the aircraft
overflew the Dubai International Airport before descending and crashing west of the
Dubai Silicon Oasis complex. Both pilots were killed in the crash.
Source:
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=comm&id=news/
awx/2010/09/21/awx_09_21_2010_p0-256556.xml
16. September 21, Associated Press – (Connecticut) New Haven train station briefly
evacuated over odor. The New Haven, Connecticut train station was briefly evacuated
September 21 and train service was suspended over a report of a strange odor, but
police said nothing was found. The Union Avenue station, which serves Metro-North
and Amtrak, was reopened and train service was restored late the morning of
September 21 after being evacuated for about 1 hour. An investigation has yielded no
results.
Source: http://www.theday.com/article/20100921/NWS12/100929872/1047
17. September 21, San Diego Union Tribune – (California) Fake airplane crash to be
staged at Palomar Airport. Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, California will be the scene
of a major air disaster October 1 — but it will not be real. The Federal Aviation
Administration requires disaster exercises every 3 years to ensure emergency personnel
can act quickly and effectively. At 9 a.m. October 1 a mock landing accident will be
staged to test responders. County airport officials said the exercise will focus on testing
communications, aircraft and victim rescue, firefighting capability, aircraft operation
during a disaster, security, and the ability of different agencies to work together.
Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/sep/21/fake-airplane-crash-bestaged-palomar-airport/
18. September 21, Associated Press – (International) Nigeria: Dead body found in
airplane wheel well. A Nigerian airline spokesman said the dead body of an apparent
stowaway was found inside the wheel well of an aircraft that originated in South
Africa. An Arik Air spokesman said that workers found the body September 20 after
the Airbus A300 returned from Johannesburg. He described the incident as a “security
breach” and said he had no other information. A Nigerian federal aviation spokesman
declined to immediately comment. Arik Air is considered Nigeria’s top commercial
airline. In August, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration granted Nigeria its top air-
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safety rating. That allows Nigerian airlines to fly directly to the U.S. However, porous
airport security remains a concern in Africa’s most populous nation.
Source: http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Nigeria-Dead-body-found-in-airplanewheel-well-667926.php
19. September 20, Torrance Daily Breeze – (California) Six South Bay cities oppose FAA
airspace exansion proposal. The city councils of six South Bay municipalities in
California have voted to oppose a proposal from the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) that could increase local air traffic. The FAA is considering whether to expand
the restricted air space around Long Beach Airport in Long Beach, a move that critics
said would push small aircraft into routes over the southern part of the South Bay.
General aviation pilots would likely avoid Long Beach Airport’s expanded airspace
because entering it would require communicating with air traffic controllers in San
Diego. FAA officials said the plan is motivated by a desire to reduce the risk of midair
collisions between jets and small aircraft. At the urging of Rancho Palos Verdes
officials, the four cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, along with Torrance and
Redondo Beach, have all sent letters to the federal agency opposing the change.
Source: http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_16125146
For more stories, see items 3, 5, 6, 7, and 21
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Postal and Shipping Sector
20. September 22, KOAT 7 Albuquerque – (New Mexico) Pipe bomb explodes in
Albuquerque mailbox. For the second time this month, a pipe bomb has blown up in
an Albuquerque, New Mexico mailbox. The Albuquerque Police Department said these
cases are pretty rare, but neighbors in the Northeast Hills and the northwest part of the
city said they now know how dangerous these pipe bombs can be. The APD said
someone put a half-inch by 3-inch steel pipe bomb inside the large item delivery
mailbox just feet from a resident’s house. A postal worker found the blasted mailbox
and the postal inspector is now conducting an investigation. They said there was not
any mail or anything valuable thieves would want inside the box. Police said the bomb
detonated, and destroyed the box, leaving just burn marks on the holder.
Source: http://www.koat.com/news/25109873/detail.html
For another story, see item 15
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Agriculture and Food Sector
21. September 22, KPSP 2 Thousand Palms – (California) Helicopter crashes near
Mecca, one hurt. One person was hurt September 21 when a crop-dusting helicopter
crashed near Mecca, California, California Highway Patrol (CHP) and fire reports
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indicated. CHP reports said the helicopter somehow hit a power line on Lincoln Street
at 70th Avenue at 2:50 p.m. A fire was then started in the area. The Hiller UH-12E
helicopter was crop dusting when it crashed in the field, according to a Federal
Aviation Administration spokesperson (FAA). The pilot was the only person on the
aircraft. A spokeswoman for the Riverside County Fire Department said the male
occupant sustained minor to moderate injuries and was being taken to a local hospital.
The helicopter apparently clipped and slightly damaged a power pole, but did not
knock any lines down. About 8 gallons of a crop-dusting pesticide was in the
helicopter’s tank, with “very minimal leakage and no threat,” the spokeswoman said.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department was also sent to the scene, which was near
a canal, according to reports. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will
assist with the investigation of the crash.
Source: http://www.kpsplocal2.com/Content/Feature/story/Helicopter-Crashes-NearMecca-One-Hurt/IzBdjA090UGVGHob-F8MDw.cspx
22. September 22, KIMT 3 Mason City – (Iowa) Explosion rattles combine operator. A
farm worker in Mason City, Iowa, narrowly escaped injury after an explosion in the
combine he was operating September 20. Workers at the 19th Street farm were quitting
for the day just before midnight when a combine caught fire near 19th and Kentucky
Avenue. The Manly man said they had been cutting a soybean field since around 2 p.m.
He said his John Deere combine was running continuously all day. They had just shut it
down and he and some crew members were about to drive away. But at the last
moment, the man decided to go back for an energy drink he had left behind. He made it
up the ladder and got to the cab. “I felt the blast like say if I would have been on the
back of the ladder I probably would have been blown right off the ladder cause it blew
the back of the combine off a little bit,” he said. Firefighters believe some chaff caught
on fire just above the fuel tank and there might have been a dust explosion. The
combine valued at around $300,000 is out of commission and will require repairs.
Source: http://www.kimt.com/content/localnews/story/Explosion-Rattles-CombineOperator/P8pKf4m87U2z1k16SVIzVg.cspx
23. September 21, Seattle Post-Intelligencer – (Washington) Sunny Jim fire cause
undetermined; ATF at scene. Fire investigators entered some parts of the former
Sunny Jim peanut butter plant in Seattle, Washington, after structural engineers
determined it was safe following a four-alarm blaze that brought more than 120
firefighters. Other parts of the building need further evaluation. The cause has not been
determined, though neighbors said people were squatting in the city building, which
was vacant. The Seattle Police Department’s arson bomb squad is at the scene, working
with fire investigators and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives. “The investigation is expected to take several days if not longer,” a fire
department spokeswoman said. The firefighter injured at the blaze September 20
suffered an ankle fracture when he was hit by siding that fell from a side of the
building. The firefighter is a 37-year department veteran. The blaze was reported about
1:45 p.m. near South Industrial Way and Airport Way South. The plant produced
peanut butter for more than six decades.
Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/427115_fire22.html
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24. September 21, New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets – (New York)
Consumer alert - Salmonella in ground beef. New York’s state agriculture
commissioner September 21 alerted consumers that Hamilton Corner Meat Market Inc.,
located at 1 Hamilton Place, New York, New York 10031, is recalling all packages of
“ground beef” sold from bulk September 7 due to the presence of Salmonella. The
recalled “ground beef” is sold in bulk from the store’s meat case and is coded with the
date of purchase — September 7, 2010. The product was sold retail from the store’s
sole location at 1 Hamilton Place. The contamination was discovered after a sample,
collected by a food inspector and analyzed by the New York State Food Laboratory,
revealed the presence of Salmonella in a bulk sample.
Source: http://readme.readmedia.com/Consumer-Alert-Salmonella-in-GroundBeef/1728430
25. September 21, New Tang Dynasty Television – (International) Seven arrested over
more melamine-tainted milk found in China. Another melamine food-safety scandal
has occurred in China. Authorities in the Shanxi province have arrested seven people
suspected of producing 26 tons of melamine-tainted milk powder. One of the arrested is
the general manager of Jinfulai Dairy Company, which produced and sold the tainted
dairy product throughout China and overseas. If he and the others are charged with
food safety crimes, they could face the death penalty. Melamine is a toxic chemical
used in plastics production, but it is also high in nitrogen and has been used by some
dairy producers in China to fool protein-content tests.
Source: http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_china/2010-09-21/516351192717.html
26. September 21, Associated Press – (Colorado) Southern Colorado dairy herd to be
released from quarantine following bovine TB infections. Colorado agriculture
officials said they plan the week of September 20 to release the quarantine on a dairy
herd whose cows were diagnosed with bovine tuberculosis in April. The Colorado
Department of Agriculture said September 21 that tests showed a “significant level” of
infection within the 500-cow southern Colorado herd, but that the premises have been
disinfected. Agriculture officials also have been tracing the movement of livestock that
were at the operation before the quarantine. The 500 cows were killed, but officials said
no meat from infected animals ever reached the human food chain, and there is no
public health concern from pasteurized milk. Commercially sold milk is pasteurized.
Source: http://www.kdvr.com/lifestyle/sns-ap-co--cowquarantine,0,7856508.story
27. September 20, Reuters – (National) Rains may disrupt harvest in northern
Midwest. Rains forecast in some parts of the northern U.S. Midwest the week of
September 20 may disrupt harvest of corn and soybeans, while the weather is likely to
be favorable in the southern areas, a forecaster said September 20. The six- to 10-day
weather forecast shows that rainfall is expected to be above normal in the north and
below normal in the south, an agricultural meteorologist with Telvent DTN said. “The
heaviest activity will favor northern Illinois,” he said. Chicago soy rose more than 2
percent September 20 to its highest level since June 2009 on concerns that dry weather
may hurt a soon-to-be-planted crop in Brazil, while corn rose to a two-year top amid
strong demand and worries about U.S. yields. Corn to be harvested in the western U.S.
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Midwest should show better yields than disappointing levels seen in the dry eastern
region, but is unlikely to make up for the deficit, analysts said.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68J0IK20100920
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Water Sector
28. September 21, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – (Utah) Polidori Corp. cited
for damages to Panguitch Lake (Utah. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has issued a compliance order to the Polidori Corporation, Inc. (PCI) and PoliGold, LLC (Poli-Gold) for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA) at
Panguitch Lake in Garfield County, Utah. EPA alleges that PCI and Poli-Gold
discharged dredged or fill material to the lake and adjacent wetlands. PCI’s and PoliGold’s actions were conducted without a required CWA permit from the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers. EPA alleges PCI and Poli-Gold, or persons acting on their behalf,
discharged dredged or fill material to approximately 7.5 acres of Panguitch Lake and
adjacent wetlands during the construction of a marina and RV park in 2007 and 2008.
The unauthorized work included construction of a coffer dam in the lake, dredging and
filling a large portion of an existing marina, and placement of large rocks along the
perimeter of the new marina. Additional activities associated with the development of
an RV park included construction of a rock wall, discharge of large amounts of earthen
fill, and placement of large rocks along a portion of the lake’s southern shoreline.
EPA’s order requires PCI and Poli-Gold to remove and/or mitigate discharged material.
Where material is removed, impacted areas must be restored to pre-impact conditions
and grade. Prior to undertaking this work, PCI and Poli-Gold must submit a plan for
EPA approval that details how mitigation and restoration will be accomplished.
Source:
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/9B9FB2FCD52DB311852577A500687CD
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Public Health and Healthcare Sector
29. September 21, Reuters – (National) States a bit more ready for disaster. Virtually all
U.S. states can quickly activate and staff emergency operations centers, receive and
investigate urgent disease reports around the clock and quickly communicate with other
laboratories, according to a federal report released September 21. But the 2009 H1N1
swine flu pandemic strained a system already weakened by staffing shortages and
budget shortfalls, the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) cautioned. While states are doing far better to prepare for big disasters, they
need steady and guaranteed funding, the CDC said.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68L02720100922
- 11 -
30. September 21, Associated Press – (District of Columbia) Leaking package closes D.C.
streets. Authorities closed some downtown Washington D.C. streets September 21 as
they investigated a package leaking an unknown substance. A D.C. fire department
spokesman said a pharmaceutical company at 950 F Street in northwest Washington
received an unexpected package that was leaking and called authorities. He said a
hazardous materials team responded to evaluate the substance. He said there is no
threat associated with the delivery and no related illnesses.
Source: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/dc/leaking-packagecloses-dc-stre.html
[Return to top]
Government Facilities Sector
31. September 22, TriCities.com – (Tennessee) Two students arrested in bomb
threats. The Washington County Sheriff’s Department in Tennessee arrested two 17year-old David Crockett High School students who are accused of calling in two bombs
threats September 21. According to the sheriff, deputies arrested the Jonesborough
school students for filing false reports after an investigation into the bomb threat
revealed the threats were called in from a student’s cell phone. One of the students was
also charged with criminal responsibility for the facilitation of a felony. Deputies said
the students said they just wanted to get out of class. The court will be asked to order
restitution for expenditures incurred during the false bomb threat. The charges against
the students could lead to a jail term of at least 1 year. Both students are being housed
at the Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Johnson City pending their September 23
appearance in Washington County Juvenile Court.
Source: http://www2.tricities.com/news/2010/sep/21/6/students-crockett-evacuatedbomb-threats-made-ar-516903/
32. September 22, Trend News Agency – (International) Explosion near U.S. Embassy in
Tbilisi. An explosion occurred September 22 in a cemetery not far from the U.S.
Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia. The police told Trend that the bomb exploded at 1:30 a.m.
local time. No one was injured. A building in the cemetery was damaged. The police
found another suspicious device at the cemetery, which they neutralized on the spot.
The police said the bomb was a self-made device. An investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, local residents said the explosion was powerful.
Source: http://en.trend.az/news/politics/foreign/1754548.html
33. September 21, KTLA 5 Los Angeles – (California) Students evacuated after
suspicious package found at USC. Students were evacuated from a building at the
University of Southern California after a suspicious item was found on campus. The
letter was discovered around 1 p.m. at the Hedco Neuro-Sciences building at Watt Way
and Downey Way on the University Park Campus in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles
Police Department bomb squad was sent to the scene to investigate the package and
students were being advised to stay away from the area. According to “The Daily
Trojan,” the packager has been determined not to be a threat. A campus spokesman
- 12 -
said the suspicious item turned out to be a magazine with LED lights.
Source: http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-usc-evacuation-hedcobuilding,0,7569303.story
34. September 21, Norwich Bulletin – (Connecticut) Police: Man threatened to blow up
Putnam courthouse. A 38-year-old, of North Grosvenordale, Connecticut was charged
with first-degree threatening September 21 after police said he threatened to blow up
the Putnam courthouse. He was being held on a $10,000 cash bond pending his
appearance in Danielson Superior Court. Police said the man was talking on the phone
to a court employee when he became upset and made a threat to “go to the courthouse
and blow the place up.” Judicial marshals on duty at the courthouse notified police and
the building was evacuated. A bomb detection dog team from the state police
emergency services unit made a precautionary sweep of the courthouse before the
building was declared safe.
Source: http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/crime/x1380095288/Police-Manthreatened-to-blow-up-Putnam-courthouse
35. September 21, Defense Systems – (National) The soft underbelly of combat
networks. Networks are at the heart of the U.S. military’s ability to operate quickly and
flexibly at the tactical and strategic levels. The nation’s adversaries and rivals know
that and constantly target Defense Department networks (DOD) with a range of attacks.
In an age of cyber warfare, the steps to defend military networks are often the same as
those needed to protect systems at other federal government agencies and commercial
enterprises, said the chief information security officer at Unisys. The official whose
information security career began three decades ago in the Air Force and continued as
CISO at the Transportation Security Administration before she moved to Unisys, said
DOD and many government organizations have network-level security pinned down
fairly well. The application level is where most breaches, data thefts and other
vulnerabilities lurk, she said. Although attackers occasionally exploit network
vulnerabilities to gain access, the majority of threats to military and civilian networks
arise through the exploitation of application-level weaknesses in software code. The
federal government has become “really good at the perimeter security. I think the area
that needs to be more focused in on is secure code and application development,” she
said. Network perimeter security has improved with better firewalls and encryption.
But the trend toward cloud computing poses potential problems that might negate
advances. She said many organizations’ perimeters are becoming cloudy with the
increase of wireless devices and applications.
Source: http://defensesystems.com/articles/2010/09/02/cyber-defense-combatnetworks.aspx?admgarea=DS
36. September 21, InformationWeek – (National) Consolidating federal data centers
could take 10 years. The federal government’s plan to consolidate data centers as a
cost-saving, security, and efficiency measure could take as long as 10 years to
complete, according to a new report. A report from government analysis firm INPUT
that assessed progress on the Federal Data Center Consolidation (FDCC) initiative also
found that there are some significant challenges to achieving the plan. The U.S. CIO
- 13 -
unveiled the FDCC in February as a way to stop what he has called the “madness” of
federal data center growth over the past several years. In June, the White House
followed that up with a memo in which it put a moratorium on agencies opening any
new data centers. The Administration also instructed agencies to examine the properties
they already have and develop plans to reduce their number by 2015. Between fiscal
years 1998 and 2009, federal data centers grew 154 percent — from 432 to more than
1,100. Moreover, spending on IT infrastructure currently represents 29 percent of the
federal IT budget. While there is no set timeline to completing the FDCC, agencies
were to submit their final consolidation plans to the Office of Management and Budget
by August 30 for approval by December 31. These plans should be incorporated into
agencies’ fiscal year 2012 budgets.
Source: http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/enterprisearchitecture/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227500361&itc=ref-true
37. September 21, Denver Post – (Colorado) Mustard agent vapor detected in Pueblo
Chemical Depot. A low level of mustard agent vapor was detected September 21
inside an igloo storing 105 mm projectiles at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot in
Pueblo, Colorado, according to the Army’s Chemical Materials Agency. The vapor was
detected at 10:59 a.m., during weekly chemical monitoring operations. The facility said
the vapor was detected by a mobile laboratory designed to analyze air inside the storage
facilities. As a result, technicians attached a charcoal filter to the igloo’s air vent. The
charcoal filtration system cleans the contaminated air by forcing the air through carbon
filters. A crew dressed in protective equipment was also slated to enter the structure
later September 21 to conduct a visual inspection of the projectiles to see if the
munitions are leaking, according to the agency. The depot has notified county and state
officials about the situation.
Source: http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_16135529
For another story, see item 53
[Return to top]
Emergency Services Sector
38. September 21, Associated Press – (Massachusetts) MA jail in lockdown after possible
contamination. A Plymouth, Massachusetts prison is in lockdown after an officer felt
burning after being exposed to a white powdery substance. A sheriff’s department
spokesman, told WATD radio that the Plymouth County Correctional Facility was
placed in lockdown after the possible contamination was reported just before noon
September 21. He said the substance, held in a small container, was set for routine
disposal when about five officers working the property room were exposed to it. The
property room is where materials brought in by inmates are stored. He said one man
was transported to a local hospital and the others were checked at the scene. The
spokeman also said prisoners generally are not permitted in the area and none were
exposed to the substance. He said hazardous materials experts were on scene to identify
the substance.
- 14 -
Source:
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1283153&srvc=rss
39. September 21, Delmarva Media Group – (Maryland) Bomb threat at ECI
investigated. Authorities in search of a possible bomb at the ECI state prison in
Westover, Maryland instead uncovered a disposable razor in a closet that stores
biohazard materials for a medical unit. The incident locked down one of two main
housing units for several hours September 18 and involved Anne Arundel County
police that alerted ECI of the threat that proved bogus, a spokesman at the state
Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services confirmed September 21. The
package containing the antiseptic-coated razor was opened with the aid of a robot after
a trained police dog led authorities to it, the spokesman said. To still be determined is
how the razor got into the closet, he said. The area of the compound where it was found
is off limits to the public, he noted.
Source: http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20100921/NEWS01/100921043/Bombthreat-at-ECI-investigated
40. September 21, Kitsap Sun – (Washington) Kitsap earthquake drill planned for
wednesday. In an exercise designed to test emergency responses, the Kitsap
Department of Emergency Management and more than 40 public agencies — including
police and fire departments, schools and health care facilities and the Navy — will act
as if an 8.2-magnitude earthquake has struck South Puget Sound near Bremerton,
Washington and took out power and phone lines. Area employees should expect to be
evacuated from public buildings shortly after 10 a.m. September 22. As part of the drill,
people in local government offices and some schools will be asked to drop, cover, hold
and then evacuate the building. At Olympic High School, a mock hazardous materials
incident will draw Washington State Patrol and fire department crews. At the Kitsap
Readiness Center near Pendergast Park, emergency responders have staged collapsed
buildings from which emergency responders will practice extracting victims. At
Peninsula Health Services in Bremerton, 100 “wounded” people will descend upon the
parking lot and a volunteer medical team will triage.
Source: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/sep/21/kitsap-earthquake-drill-expectedwednesday/
41. September 20, WLFI 18 Lafayette – (Indiana) Emergency agreement to provide
quicker response times. Emergency response times in the News Channel 18 viewing
area covering nine counties in Indiana are expected to be faster in the event of a
disaster from now on. The district four task force commander said emergency
personnel could have quicker response times thanks to a new agreement Tippecanoe
County Commissioners approved September 20. District Four includes Tippecanoe,
Montgomery, Warren, Fountain, Clinton, Carroll, Cass, White and Benton counties.
Indiana’s Department of Homeland Security divided the state into 10 districts about 3
years ago. The agreement would also explain how a county can request services during
an emergency, who is responsible for any damage to equipment, and who would be
responsible for injuries to emergency personnel, should they occur.
- 15 -
Source: http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/news/local/emergency-agreement-to-providequicker-response-times
For another story, see item 29
[Return to top]
Information Technology Sector
42. September 22, Computerworld – (International) Twitter ‘antibodies’ help kill worm,
says researcher. Social-networking services like Facebook and Twitter have a natural
defense against hardcore hackers, a security researcher said September 21. The
remarkable speed with which several worms spread on Twitter Tuesday may have sent
opportunistic spammers scurrying to exploit a quickly patched vulnerability, but
cybercriminals looking for ways to hijack PCs essentially steered clear. Why? “Social
networks have built-in antibodies ... their users,” said an analyst of the Finnish security
company F-Secure. “Compare the Twitter attack to a malicious attack of yesteryear that
took weeks or even months to develop. This peaked and ebbed in two and a half
hours.” That pace was the worms’ undoing. Although they spread voraciously for
several hours — the spike of worm-spreading traffic started around 5:30 a.m. Pacific
time, according to data from Trendistic.com — Twitter quashed the bug by 7 a.m. With
users tweeting around the clock somewhere in the world, it’s not surprising that the
original worm and the inevitable copycats came to the attention of Twitter’s security
team. “They make a very dynamic feedback loop for Twitter,” he said. What’s not as
intuitive is that the fast up-up-up and then the just-as-rapid down-down-down of the
infection pulse is something hackers do not want. “Hard-core hackers won’t go after
something like Twitter,” the analyst contended, “because it causes too much damage.”
Too much, as in too much publicity, and more infections than can be handled.
Source:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9187160/Twitter_antibodies_help_kill_worm
_says_researcher
43. September 22, SC Magazine UK – (International) Symantec warns of a new virus
threat, as remote workers most likely to breach rules. With Stuxnet and the “Here
you have” worm both highlighting the threat of a virus, there’s been a further detection
of what has been called the Sality.AE virus. According to Symantec’s September 2010
MessageLabs Intelligence Report, the Sality.AE virus was the most prevalent blocked
piece of malware in the month. It said that Sality.AE spreads by infecting executable
files and attempts to download potentially malicious files from the Internet and in terms
of endpoint threats, it was the most prevalent. Also, one third of employees are more
likely to trigger a Web site block based on corporate policy infringement when on the
road rather than in the office. The report found that Web-based malware accounted for
one in 1,807 of the Web site traffic blocks triggered for remote workers, compared with
one in 322 for office-based workers. Of the blocked sites, shopping, search engines and
dating categories were frequently blocked for workers outside the office than those who
are inside, while blocks on adult or sexually explicit content were more likely to be
- 16 -
attempted from the workplace.
Source: http://www.scmagazineuk.com/symantec-warns-of-a-new-virus-threat-asremote-workers-most-likely-to-breach-rules/article/179335/
44. September 22, The H Security – (International) Twitter and the XSS zombie. In
August, a Twitter developer changed the code of a Twitter library with the comment
“closed XSS after the [at symbol]”. On September 21, this vulnerability reappeared on
the Twitter servers and there was an avalanche of tweets exploiting this security hole.
The publicly viewable documentation of the August 24th code change in the open
source code of twitter-text-rb even included a demo link that looks a lot like the one in
circulation September 21. The problem was that a URL crafted as http://x.xx/[at
symbol] could confuse the parser, allowing JavaScript to be injected, stored with the
tweet, and embedded in the Twitter user’s browser on the site. An event, such as a
mouseover, could then be used to activate the code. According to Twitter, the problem
was actually remedied last month, but a recent update of the site “unknowingly
resurfaced it.” When the first demo tweets went into circulation September 21, it
appeared that script code could again be injected. Less than 1 hour after the first few
harmless demos began displaying JavaScript messages, variations popped up that
propagated themselves as “retweets” or downloaded additional JavaScript code from
external sites; it is still not clear what operations some of the variants performed.
Shortly after the avalanche, Twitter put the fix back in place to remedy the problem and
there appears to be no risk at the moment.
Source: http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Twitter-and-the-XSS-zombie1083697.html
45. September 22, The Register – (Oregon) 4chan invades Tea Party website. A Web site
run by the conservative Tea Party movement was overrun by the denizens of 4chan
September 21. Web site vulnerabilities on the official teaparty.org Web site allowed
pranksters to divert surfers landing on the photo section of the site to smut and shock
sites. It’s unclear what Web site security shortcomings were exploited in that attack and
whether these are now closed. Boing Boing has screenshots from the attack in a short
article. The assault coincides with ongoing DDoS attacks by members of 4chan against
entertainment industry Web sites in protest against legal actions against Torrent tracker
Web site The Pirate Bay. The Oregon Tea Party made the mistake of using the “We
Are Legion” slogan of Anonymous, the anti-Scientology movement that spawned in
4chan, in its official materials this summer. In response, Anonymous hacked the Tea
Party’s Facebook page, posting flames and image macros, before the local branch of
the dissident conservative movement promised to stop using the slogan.
Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/09/22/4chan_spikes_tea_party/
46. September 22, V3.co.uk – (International) Software vulnerabilities reaching
‘unacceptable’ levels. Developers are failing to meet industry security standards when
creating new software, according to testing firm Veracode. Data collected on 2,900
applications by the company’s security verification service suggests that more than half
of tested applications contain “ unacceptable” levels of vulnerabilities. Financial sector
applications had the lowest vulnerability levels, and mission-critical applications in
- 17 -
general were found to be less vulnerable. Web-based applications were found to be
particularly vulnerable, however. More than 80 percent of submitted Web applications
contained errors listed in the Open Web Application Security Project’s Top 10 risk list.
The vice president of product marketing at Veracode told V3.co.uk that the high
number of vulnerabilities in Web applications could be down to the skill of the
developer and heightened interest in testing Web applications. She shot down the
notion that data stored on site is more secure than cloud computing services, or that
installed applications are inherently more secure. Instead, she suggests that companies
are adopting stricter testing practices that should have been in use all along.
Source: http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2270200/applications-falling-short
47. September 21, Help Net Security – (International) Phishers still favor spam over
social networking sites. SpamTitan Technologies announced the findings of its latest
survey of small and medium businesses on the continued danger of phishing attacks,
and it shows that despite media reports about the rise in phishing on social networking
sites, its perceived threat to businesses is marginal when compared with traditional
spam techniques. An overwhelming majority (75 percent) of IT managers surveyed
regard traditional spam as the top security threat. Opinion is divided over whether
business network security measures have caused phishing attacks to migrate from email to social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook with 37 percent saying it is
a growing phenomenon while 31 percent disagree. Instead, they regard the move to online phishing as a natural response to the growth in the user communities of the main
social networking sites. Clear policies and improvements in user education and
awareness topped recommendations as the best ways to beat phishing.
Source: http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=9893
48. September 20, Government Technology – (International) Top 10 network security
threats. With cyber-threats becoming a daily headache for IT security staff, it helps to
have some advice, or at least know what to look out for. One researcher of Fortinet, a
network security software provider, offered his observations on the top 10 threats that
can harm networks from the inside and ways to combat them. And according to him,
the number of threats just keeps growing. “The ways that the networks can be
compromised 5 years ago internally, certainly still exist. It’s just that today, that list is
really growing, and that’s why this is ongoing research,” said a project manager for
cyber-security and threat research at Fortinet. The manager said that the company has
more than 100 researchers worldwide who monitor network activity. According to the
researchers, the top 10 internal network vulnerabilities are: 1) USB drives, 2) laptops
and netbooks, 3) wireless access points, 4) miscellaneous USB devices (digital
cameras, MP3 players, etc.,) 5) employees borrowing others’ machines or devices, 6)
the Trojan human (attackers who visit sites disguised as employee personnel or
contractors,) 7) optical media (CDs, DVDs, etc.,) 8) lack of employee alertness, 9)
smartphones, and 10) e-mail.
Source: http://www.govtech.com/security/Top-10-Network-Security-Threats.html
- 18 -
Internet Alert Dashboard
To report cyber infrastructure incidents or to request information, please contact US-CERT at sos@us-cert.gov or
visit their Web site: http://www.us-cert.gov
Information on IT information sharing and analysis can be found at the IT ISAC (Information Sharing and
Analysis Center) Web site: https://www.it-isac.org
[Return to top]
Communications Sector
49. September 21, Flint Journal – (Michigan) Copper taken from communication tower
in Flint valued at $1M. Suspects made off with about $1 million in copper from a
communication tower on Branch Road near Davison Road in Flint, Michigan,
according to police reports. Police are investigating the incident, which a Sprint
communications repairman reported to police. He said the incident occurred some time
between 9 a.m. and noon September 18, according to police. The man told police
someone climbed over the west barbed-wire gate of the communication barrier and
removed an air conditioning cover, along with copper pipes from the unit. The suspect
then broke into a control room and removed a 30-pound copper plate. Wiring was also
taken from the control room. The total value lost is estimated at $1 million.
Source:
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/09/copper_taken_from_communicatio
.html
50. September 21, IDG News Service – (National) Lawmakers call for smart grid access
to wireless spectrum. Two U.S. lawmakers have asked the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) to allow Internet-connected, electricity-monitoring devices to
access unused television spectrum. The FCC is scheduled to vote September 23 on final
rules allowing mobile broadband devices to use the so-called white spaces, spectrum
assigned for television use but not occupied by TV stations. But two U.S.
Representatives, both California Democrats, called on the FCC to allow so-called smart
grid devices — digital electricity meters for homes and businesses — to also use whitespace spectrum. “As we continue to promote policies to expand broadband services,
more and more consumers will expect to use their computer and wireless devices to
monitor their energy usage in ‘real time’ whether they are at home, at work, or on
vacation,” they wrote in a letter to the FCC September 21. The lawmakers want the
FCC to allow smart grid devices, such as smart meters and home energy management
systems, to use the white spaces, a spokeswoman for one of the representatives said.
They are not advocating that electric utilities use the white spaces as broadband
backhaul, she said.
Source:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9187100/Lawmakers_call_for_smart_grid_ac
cess_to_wireless_spectrum
- 19 -
51. September 21, Petoskey News-Review – (Michigan) AT&T service disruption is
because of system upgrade. AT&T customers around the Petoskey, Michigan, area
experienced a disruption in their mobile service the week of September 20 because of
complications with the system upgrade to a 3G network. “There is a tower down in the
area because of the change over to the 3G network. Our local engineers have been
having trouble with the upgrades so there are engineers here from down state to help fix
the problem,” Petoskey’s AT&T manager said. “We are adding the high-speed 3G
network, which will speed up mobile Internet service. The tower should be completed
very soon and the service will improve.”
Source: http://www.petoskeynews.com/business/pnr-business-att092110,0,5227970.story
52. September 21, Associated Press – (Michigan) 1M copper theft hits Flint
communication tower. Authorities said about $1 million in copper has been stolen
from a communication tower in Flint, Michigan. The Flint Journal reported September
21 that a repairman discovered the recent theft and reported it to police. An air
conditioning cover was removed along with copper pipes from the unit, and a 30-pound
copper plate was taken from a control room. Wiring also was taken.
Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20100921/NEWS06/100921046/-1M-coppertheft-hits-Flint-communication-tower
53. September 21, Government Computer News – (National) Next generation of GPS
satellites threatened by lack of coordination, GAO says. For the past 15 years, the
U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) has provided essential positioning, navigation
and timing services not only to the military, but to civil and commercial activities
including agriculture, aviation, power distribution and emergency services. But
maintenance and future development of GPS is threatened by ambitious schedules that
have not been backed up by appropriate oversight and coordination, according to the
Government Accountability Office (GAO). The deployment of the current generation
of satellites and services, called GPS IIF, is more than 3 years behind schedule and has
more than doubled its original cost estimate, GAO said. The next generation, GPS IIIA,
appears to be on schedule but faces risks from a ground system that will not be
completed until the launch of the first IIIA satellite, now scheduled for 2015. “The GPS
constellation availability has improved, but in the longer term, a delay in the launch of
the GPS IIIA satellites could still reduce the size of the constellation to fewer than 24
operational satellites — the number that the U.S. government commits to — which
might not meet the needs of some GPS users,” GAO warned in a report on challenges
to the system.
Source: http://gcn.com/articles/2010/09/21/gps-next-gen-challenges.aspx
[Return to top]
Commercial Facilities Sector
54. September 21, Chicago Daily Herald – (Illinois) Palatine gas leak leads to
evacuation. Approximately 50 people were evacuated from homes and businesses in
- 20 -
downtown Palatine, Illinois, for close to five hours September 20 after a construction
crew cracked a gas line. The Palatine Fire Department responded to a call about 10 a.m.
and found that a 2.5-inch gas line had been broken at the intersection of Palatine Road
and Greeley Street and was leaking, according to the department. Fire department
personnel detected natural gas in the neighboring multifamily buildings and, along with
the police department, evacuated homes and businesses in the area of the leak. The leak
was plugged by 3 p.m. There were no injuries.
Source:
http://www.fireengineering.com/index/articles/Wire_News_Display.1267546263.html
55. September 20, Reuters – (International) U.S. warn citizens as India probe
shooting. Australia and the United States issued warnings to their citizens against
traveling to India September 20 after Indian police said they found traces of explosives
in the car that blew up minutes after two men wearing helmets and raincoats fired at a
Taiwanese tourist bus September 19 outside the historic Jama Masjid mosque in New
Delhi. Indian authorities played down the shooting and said it could be the work of
local criminals, but a government source said militant action could not be ruled out.
Interior ministry officials said the two incidents may be connected, and the government
has directed the police to step up investigation and tighten security across the city,
which will host the Commonwealth Games between October 3-14. In addition, an email purportedly from the Indian Mujahideen, a home-grown Islamist group with links
to militants in Pakistan, was sent to BBC and some local media after the attack. The
statement threatened attacks on the games.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68J33O20100920
[Return to top]
National Monuments and Icons Sector
56. September 21, Yellowstone Insider – (Wyoming) Antelope Fire slows; Grand Loop
Road to reopen; fight moves to south. The Yellowstone National Park Antelope Fire
in Wyoming has been contained to the point between Tower Fall and Chittenden Road.
The road was slated to reopen September 22 after closing at 10 p.m. September 21
because of concerns about smoke. The fire is now estimated to be 2,400 acres and at 20
percent containment, as growth slowed September 21. The main task September 21 was
securing a firebreak along Antelope Creek and the Grand Loop Road. Maintaining the
firebreak is important, so crews will remain in the area, potentially slowing traffic in
the newly opened areas. The fight is now moving to the south, where the fire is moving
through regenerated areas impacted by the 1988 fires. If necessary, crews will burn out
areas to the south and southwest to slow down any more growth.
Source: http://www.yellowstoneinsider.com/20100922694/news/articles/antelope-fireslows-grand-loop-road-to-reopen-fight-moves-to-south.php
57. September 21, WOOD 8 Grand Rapids – (Michigan) 400 pot plants found in
Manistee Forest. Two men are in jail after being arrested for allegedly growing more
than 400 marijuana plants in the Manistee National Forest in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
- 21 -
The two men were busted after a hunter September 19 reported the site to federal
authorities. Investigators found the plants covering about a quarter-acre in northern
Newaygo County. Most of the 400 plants were between 4- and 5-feet tall and appeared
well-cared for. The dark green plants looked fertilized, and some were tied to stakes.
Court documents said they were well-hidden and hard to see from the sky because the
garden was covered by Aspen branches that almost made a ceiling over the plants.
Three people were seen by a U.S. Forest Service agent, but one was not caught. The
other two were arrested later that night and now are being held at the Newaygo County
jail. Their arraignment is scheduled for later in September.
Source: http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/nw_mich/400-pot-plants-found-inManistee-Forest
[Return to top]
Dams Sector
58. September 22, KGNB 1420 AM New Braunfels – (Texas) City says Landa Lake Dam
needs more repairs following June flood. It looks like the Landa Lake Dam in New
Braunfels, Texas needs more repairs, following the June 9 flood. About two and onehalf years ago, city staff noticed the dam had several small leaks, and they began an
effort to plug them. That effort included a full engineering study to make sure the dam
was still safe, and all of those studies came back saying the dam, which was built in the
mid 1800’s, is still structurally sound. So the city spent $70,000 to fix those small
leaks, and everything held fine until the June 2010 flood, when another leak was
discovered. The city public works director said additional engineering work will cost
about $27,000, plus the cost of construction. There are plans for a larger job in the
future to help keep the city from having to continue to make small repairs. The larger
project would include building up the top of the dam to its historic height, so that
overflow water will funnel into the dam’s original spillway, instead of overflowing into
the Spring Fed Pool. But there has not been any discussion about completely replacing
the dam.
Source: http://kgnb.am/radio/news/city-says-landa-lake-dam-needs-more-repairsfollowing-june-flood-121
59. September 21, CBS Atlanta – (National) Floods last fall were 10,000 year rain
event. The National Weather Service (NWS) said there was no way to predict last
September’s epic floods would dump 21 inches of rain in less than 24 hours in the
Peachtree, Georgia area. The floods damaged or destroyed 20,000 homes and
businesses and killed 10 people. The NWS service said such rainfall totals occur only
once every 10,000 years. But the amount of rain was just one part of the problem.
During the storm 20 river gauges went out so officials didn’t know how high river
levels were for about 30 hours, a NWS senior hydrologist said. He is leading the effort
to install manual river gauges in areas where digital gauges were submerged. In the
event of another major flooding event, the hydrologist said local officials will be able to
eyeball how high the flood stage of rivers and creeks are and call that information into
the weather service. The event has also prompted the NWS to review how it issues
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flood alerts. For the first time, they will issue major river flood alerts through a weather
radio so businesses and residents know what to expect.
Source: http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/25105979/detail.html
60. September 20, New Orleans Times-Picayune – (Louisiana) Barrier berm advocates
not deterred by environmental regulators’ misgivings. Despite serious questions
raised by federal regulators about the project’s environmental impacts, Louisiana
coastal officials will continue to build six barrier berms to capture oil from the
Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a building effort that will result in
about 25 miles of 6-foot-high sand and sediment hills. The Army Corps of Engineers
September 16 asked Louisiana to submit new justifications for the project, citing
unanswered questions about the environmental effects of continued dredging. The
request could affect both the temporary approval of the six-berm project granted by the
Corps May 27 and by the Deepwater Horizon spill National Incident Commander June
6, and a state request for a permanent permit that would expand the project to 101 miles
of berms.
Source: http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oilspill/index.ssf/2010/09/barrier_berm_advocates_not_det.html
61. September 18, Associated Press – (International) Pakistan floods renew heated
debate on dam project. This summer’s floods in Pakistan have reopened a quartercentury-old debate on whether to build a large hydroelectric dam on the River Indus, a
dispute that has split the nation along regional lines. Supporters say the water reservoir
could have prevented much of the floods’ devastation and boosted agricultural
production along the river. Opponents say just the opposite. The debate over the
Kalabagh Dam shows how the worst natural disaster in Pakistan’s history, affecting
some 20 million people, has unearthed deep fissures in its society. There is a chronic
mistrust among Pakistan’s four provinces and the central government, and critics
accuse wealthy landowners of naked self-interest in wanting to ensure the Indus keeps
irrigating their crops. Kalabagh is in eastern Punjab province, the country’s most
populous and prosperous region, where the glacier-fed River Indus moves from
northwestern mountains to plains and nourishes millions of acres of wheat, cotton and
sugar cane crops. The dam was first proposed in 1984, but political sensitivities have
kept it from passing the planning stage.
Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5in15y8Qvhw4Gl9GiZlygh2VupzAD9IADQ100
For another story, see item 28
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